J. Gregory Gerdel
The rumor about the Red Hen Baking Company moving from its location at Camp Meade on U.S. Route 2 in Middlesex has proved to be true. Red Hen announced the plan, which targets spring 2026 as the time for the move, on its website in early August.
Citing current space limitations for baking operations, café customers, and parking, the company has secured a building about half a mile west on U.S. Route 2 from the current location (toward Waterbury) that will address all these concerns.
The vision for the larger space is that it will create the opportunity to meet the demand for services and products that are constrained at the current location. Also, they will be able to provide café customers with a better view of the baking operation, explained Randy George, who founded the bakery with his wife Liza Cain about 25 years ago.
The sprawling lawn adjacent to the new location will also provide ample space for outdoor seating, George said.
Red Hen first opened in 1999 in Duxbury on Vermont Route 100, relying primarily on wholesale distribution to stores and restaurants. The crusty, European-style breads and traditional pastries, both sweet and savory, are made with organic flour. The prospect for retail sales was evident as the baked goods became increasingly popular at farmers markets, Montpelier’s in particular. After eight years in Duxbury, the company moved to its current location and expanded the former Camp Meade Diner to accommodate the bakery operation.
The business has grown from its original crew of eight employees to 40 and has sustained its commitment to paying fair wages and benefits, a significant factor in retaining key employees over the long term, George said.
For specific information and updates, go to redhenbaking.com/our-next-move.
