A Baker is Born

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
The Tasty Crumb Bakery is serving up fresh baked goods from scratch. This small town bakery, owned and operated by Jaime and Nick Dowling, has recently opened its doors in Ascutney, VT. Originally started as a passion project by Jaime Dowling, her love of baking has turned into a full fledged business.

“At first I was just making things for friends, bread and cookies, just for fun,” she stated. Dowling then began selling her cannolis and cookies to Balthazar’s Ice Shack in Goshen, New Hampshire, to rave reviews.

These reviews, along with growing word of mouth, convinced her to take her baked goods to the Vermont Apple Festival in Springfield. “We did so well that it really gave me the confidence to try and start the business,” said Dowling. So in 2017, The Tasty Crumb Delivery Service began as a way to deliver goods that were made from her home.

Prior to opening this small town bakery, Dowling worked in the nursing field for 16 years. During that time she worked at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire, and obtained her registered nursing license in 2010.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, Dowling took a step back from nursing for the safety of her immunocompromised daughter. It was then that Dowling began baking more, in particular, bread for family and friends. “I knew a lot of people that either weren’t able to find baked goods, or couldn’t go to the store during that time,” she explained. So while homeschooling their children, the Dowlings would make deliveries to the homes of folks that were not able to get these things themselves.

Dowling’s love for baking is something that has been handed down over generations. Her grandmother, who’s photo hangs on the wall of the bakery, first taught her to cook and bake as a young girl when she would go visit.

She is also no stranger to serving up delicious treats as her parents ran a Bed & Breakfast in Goshen for many years. “It was so much fun, as kids we would get to come down and have breakfast with the guests,” she remembered. It was there that she found her love of communal spaces. “We want to have a sense of community, people hanging out, chatting and having coffee,” Dowling said of the bakery.

This sense of community also rings true with how they source their products. Everything is purchased locally, such as the coffee and flour, which they buy from Mocha Joe’s and King Arthur Flour.

“I’m just so happy to have a local bakery. I love to support family run local businesses and they are from the arena, so I support 200 percent.” said Marie, a customer who was purchasing donuts for her and her husband on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s amazing how happy you can make someone just by giving them something you baked,” said Dowling. She also wants to remind people that you can share that happiness as they love to make things special to order. From cookies to cakes to cannolis to Dowlings can do it all and gluten free options are always available. She invites everyone to come in, hang out, and enjoy every bite, down to the last, tasty crumb.