New Owners Expand Menu and Hours of The Montclair Bread Company

The baker’s hat has been passed. The Montclair Bread Company has a new look, expanded offerings and longer hours since award-winning baker, Rachel Crampsey, took over the ovens at the popular Walnut Street specialty bakery in May from former owners Sally and Will Reinhardt, who returned to Australia.

In its redesigned space, Rachel has introduced new all-natural artisan breads while continuing classic favorites and updating some of the specialty item the bakery is known for. Patrons will still find old favorites based on Will’s original recipes, such as the popular carrot muffins and veggie pizzas but will find new offerings as well.

“Keeping with the theme of ‘bread for everyone,’ says Rachel, “we’ve expanded our specialty items including a delicious new gluten-free pizza crust, peanut butter cookies, and cranberry oat bars but also added many new artisan breads that will have a wide appeal. We now feature, for instance, croissants, baguettes, sourdough loaves, challah rolls, and specialty breads such as ‘Currant Seeduction,’ a whole grain bread embedded with currants, flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.” Rachel’s “Currant Seeduction” bread received the Grand Prize in the 2011 America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest.

New sandwiches at the bakery include specials such as cilantro pesto with granny smith apples and queso fresco as well as tomato, basil pesto and mozzarella on foccacia and gluten-free wraps. Catering trays are also available. In addition, the Bread Company will be adding new bread baking classes, guest baker workshops and other special events. 

“I’m thrilled that this Montclair institution is continuing on,” said long-time customer and township resident Kevin Fried. “Sally and Will were well loved by the community. It is nice to see the store passed into such caring hands.”

Sampling the new croissants with his nine-year-old daughter Hannah, Ken Levine remarked they were “the best croissants in Montclair. I thought I was in Paris.”

Rachel’s husband Kevin Crampsey has renovated the interior space of the bakery and will manage the daily operation of the bakery. The Crampseys moved to Montclair in October 2010 and have three children-- Josie age 3, Keegan age 2, and Malachi age 6 months.

Rachel Crampsey grew up working side-by-side with her grandmother decorating cakes in her business in Maryland. She supported herself in college as an entrepreneur selling her original “vegan cowboy cookies.” When she traded in her previous career as a French teacher for a toque, Rachel fell in love with “soulfulness” involved in bread baking while studying at the Culinary Institute of America.  She worked with Daniel Leader at Bread Alone while a student at CIA, and after graduating, her career included positions such as Production Manager at Amy’s Bread in NYC and Research and Development Specialist for Tribeca Oven, an artisan bread company in Secaucus, NJ.

A community partnership formed to support the Crampseys’ purchase of the bakery from the Reinhardts who owned and operated the store for 19 years.

The additional partners are Montclair residents Kelli and Tom DeFlora, Kelly and Joe McDonald, Kathy Walsh and Todd Flynn; and Michael Richman, of New York.

The Montclair Bread Company is located at 113 Walnut Street. Starting June 1, expanded hours for the bakery will be Tuesday-Friday 6am-7pm, Saturday 7am-5pm and Sunday 9am-2pm. In addition, Montclair Bread Company operates seasonal booths at the Montclair, Hoboken, Red Bank and West Orange farmers market, and its breads will be on the menu at various local restaurants such as Egan & Sons and Terra at the Isabel Rose Cafe. For more information, visit: www.montclairbread.com and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MontclairBreadCompany. For wholesale inquiries and other questions, contact Rachel Crampsey at: rachel@montclairbread.com.