GREEN BAY (NBC26) — A Green Bay couple who took a sourdough class the night before they eloped have built a growing bakery business in Northeast Wisconsin — and recently took their story to Washington.
Celeste Parins and Ben Cadman, co-owners of Voyageurs Bakehouse, were invited to showcase their product at the Small Business Administration's annual showcase in May.
"This invite to D.C., it was affirmation in a way," Parins said. "We're taking the step of becoming a nationally recognized bakery."
Neither Parins nor Cadman had a background in baking before that sourdough class 10 years ago, but making the bread together as newlyweds became a labor of love.
The couple launched Voyageur's Bakehouse out of a shared desire to be entrepreneurs, starting with farmers markets.
"The first loaf of bread was sold a week before our first child was born," Parins noted.
As their family grew, so did the business — built on community support and a growing team.
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
"It is the team and the community making it all possible," the couple expressed. "For us, the joy comes from seeing the joy in others," stated Parins.
Jordan Pier joined the bread team at Voyageurs two years ago.
"I didn't know where to put an application in," Pier remembers, "So I just baked an application instead." The co-owners called Pier in for an interview within the hour," Pier claims.
Watching Voyageurs grow has been rewarding for those on the team.
"Seeing the business grow that you love is always really nice [and] knowing that you have a hand in that," said Pier.
Starting June 7, the Green Bay location of the bakehouse will be open on Sundays, so that neighbors can gather with loved ones at the table every day of the week.
