We owe the phrase, "You are what you eat", not to Frank Zappa but to French gourmand Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826). His appreciation for food took on new meaning in the 1960s when a "counter cuisine" emerged. A coherent set of dietary beliefs and practices, the counter cuisine had three major elements:

1) A consumerist component which suggested what to avoid--especially processed "plastic" foods.

2) Making food more fun through a delight in improvisation, craftsmanship,ethnic and regional cooking.

3) The third element addressed issues of food production and distribution.

The children of the 60s struggled to bring wisdom and responsibility to the dinner table and to the global community. Warren J. Belasco, in Appetite for Change, writes, "I see how right many of the intuitions (of the 60s) were: the need to align private action with planetary needs; the distrust of chemicals and technology; the resanctification of nature, community and tradition...the enthusiasm for small farms and organic methods; the intrinsic delight in whole foods."

The Flour Garden Bakery came out of this tradition. Rather than baking with the commercial/industrial methodology of using manufactured mixes and artificial flavorings, Flour Garden bakes with a special blend of classical European-style and California health consciousness. Combining this blend of quality and beauty is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Everything is made from scratch. It is also much more costly to bake with the finest quality, most nutritious, ingredients; but the Flour Garden is determined to produce food that is not only delicious, but also nutritious.

 

It is also the Flour Garden's intention to serve the community by providing a "well-lighted place" where everyone will feel welcome and cared for. On any given morning, one would find a rich blend of the local populace: Republicans and Democrats, students, doctors, school teachers, construction workers, local law enforcement officers, artists. There is a children's area with a smaller table and chairs, and children's books. There are handicapped-accessible restrooms. Classical music, usually. Or jazz. All of these reflect a welcoming and serving of the community as a whole. The new CyberCafe at the Brunswick store further extends this idea of community spirit to include and access the whole planet through the World Wide Web and the Internet.

This community spirit is also reflected in the Flour Garden's regard for the environment. As an environmentally-sensitive business, the Flour Garden is committed to business practices that demonstrate an ecological responsibility. Glass, plastic, aluminum, newspapers and cardboard are recycled and no Styrofoam is used, and the ceramic dishes help reduce the use of paper plates & cups.

The Flour Garden has grown from three employees in 1981 to over 50 employees and three stores in 1998. Its success is a result of a dedication to baking and offering the finest quality pastries and coffees, and a dedication to serving the community which has so enthusiastically supported it.

Bill Copeland, 1982.

Freshly boiled water bagels, hot out of the oven! Flour Garden opened in Nevada County in March, 1981.

Susan Copeland, 1979.

She learned to bake in Berkeley, starting her first bakery in 1976.

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