Market Made Bakers

Bakers & Co. | Annapolis, Maryland 

Got their start: Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market

Lucy Montgomery respects baking’s basic rules. But she also appreciates the art and alchemy of it and likes to play in the kitchen, fooling around with flavors and textures to find just the right mix. “Baking is science, but it’s pretty magical, too,” she says. Distributing breads, cookies, croissants, and more with a side of her effervescent personality is as fulfilling for her as it is for those on the receiving end. “I get to share the magic, which I love, because I’m pretty social,” she says.

Lucy and husband/business partner (and fellow baker) Chris Simmons cherish sharing at the Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market, where Bakers & Co. debuted in 2008—and where they still have a stand. Spots at this popular market are highly sought after, and at the time, there was a waiting list. Somehow (Lucy still isn’t sure how it happened), they lucked out and scored a place. Every weekend, they soaked up feedback while relishing the immediate satisfaction of watching folks enjoy their wares right there.

The couple kept their day jobs (Lucy as a legal secretary; Chris as manager of a tobacco shop), but customers hounded them about opening their own space. By 2012, they felt enough people were hooked on their goods to justify a storefront. They were right. When Bakers & Co. opened in December of that year, many of their market regulars were the first ones through the doors. 

Known for: The Market Bun, a cinnamon and orange zest pastry, rolled like a cinnamon bun, but flaky like a croissant.