Since opening this past December, The Baker’s Tale on Route 55 in Highland has captured the attention and appetite of several people in the area and beyond. Owned and operated by Kristin Bell, this quaint bakery offers classic baked goods, local and organic coffee, along with custom orders including cakes for special events. Bell and her team are making a push towards the future and expanding their menu. With the success of the bakery, the decision to move to serving breakfast has come to fruition.

“We just started serving breakfast. We’ve been doing pretty well, especially on the weekends, so adding breakfast items to our menu seemed like a good way to keep things new and help the business grow. In the future we are also looking to add indoor seating, and expand the parking lot,” said owner Kristin Bell.

It all started with an all-natural dog treat company that Bell started with her mother back in 2012. Wholesaling the treats to over 60 locations, Bell and her mother also decided to launch a gluten free bakery called “Mad Batters” in 2014, and they started creating unique gluten free baked goods for the gluten free community. Now, Mad Batters and Baker’s Tale have combined into one building, but with separate kitchens to prevent the gluten-free recipes from cross contaminating with the recipes including gluten.

“There seemed to be a lack of options for gluten free people, especially in this area. We decided to do something different, and it worked out! We still produce gluten free products in a separate kitchen. Nobody else in the area offers what we offer for the celiac and gluten free communities,” said Bell.

Bell’s Mother Alice was a huge inspiration throughout her life, and sadly in 2019, Alice lost a long battle with cancer. Kristin keeps her mother’s recipes and memory alive in the Baker’s Tale through the fairy-tale atmosphere inside, and the old-fashioned homemade recipes she has been so familiar with since her childhood.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my Mom. This shop is dedicated to her. She made things everyone would enjoy, and we want to keep that going,” explained Bell.

The Baker’s Tale and Mad Batters’ next move is crafting artisan breads for sale in house, along with wholesale. Bell and her crew already got involved with the wholesale game, selling a variety of baked goods to other restaurants in the area, including Cafe Mio in Gardiner, 2 Alices Coffee Lounge in Cornwall, and the Silk Factory Cafe in Newburgh.

With a variety of options, Baker’s Tale is sure to accommodate anyone, even with special requests. They also offer catering platters, and the new breakfast menu that will continue to grow.

The Baker’s Tale is open 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.