The Baker’s Backstory

Hi, I'm Robyn. I founded Robyn’s Craft Bakehouse in Portland, OR, as a midlife career change, at first intending to build a community- supported bread share.

I love baking rustic, whole-grain, naturally leavened loaves with dark, flavorful crusts at home, and have been inspired by the numerous bakers leading the grain revolution of the past several decades. My dream was to become a baker and regularly supply my neighbors with bread. In 2016, I set out to learn artisan bread production through the San Francisco Baking Institute’s professional bread and pastry program, and then started baking bread professionally in Portland for the next couple of years.

Working the early morning shift at a bakery known for its high-quality breads using regionally grown and milled grains, I had an epiphany: People are demanding better bread; why shouldn't we expect more from the humble cracker?

Using the same local grains and techniques I’d mixed into my own artisan loaves, I experimented with making crackers, crisps and flatbreads. Robyn’s Craft Bakehouse was born. In 2019, my husband Jeff joined the operation, helping on big bake days and selling at farmers markets. Our vision is to support a local, sustainable grain economy by connecting our community to the farmers who grow our food.

Why a Bird’s Nest?

I came to the idea for our logo as a play on my name without “putting a bird on it.” For me, the nest evokes a sense of home, comfort, nourishment, the land, and nature — all things I hope to promote with my crackers. The artwork was drawn by the talented @jaredgraytuttle and designed by @papermooncreative.

#eatbettercrackers