Nuflours Moves into its Capitol Hill Kitchen

[Photo: Amanda Bedell]

Nuflours owners Amanda Bedell and Phebe Rossi are about to complete the kitchen of their upcoming gluten free bakeshop in the former North Hill Bakery space on 15th. The pair were passed keys to the Capitol Hill storefront this past December and, with the help of family and friends, have spent months gutting and revamping its interior.

Bedell and Rossi's vision for the bakery it to be a one-stop destination for sans-gluten bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies. "We nailed a croissant, and we're super proud of that," she says. Pourover and drip coffee and light lunch items (homemade soup, takeaway sandwiches) will also be up for grabs. While Nuflours will have limited seating, Bedell says, "it's not going to be a cafe where you sit and hang out with wi-fi."

Like the menu, the design of the front counter and cafe area is still in flux. "We've only settled on the kitchen," Bedell says. The baking area has been updated with stainless steel and easy to clean components. "We've lightened everything up," she says. North Hill owned most of the equipment but left two historic pieces: an oven from 1908 that was purchased by the first bakery to use the space in 1935 and an 80-quart vintage mixer from the 1930s.

While hours are up in the air, the bakery will likely be closed Mondays. Cooking classes are in the works for the evenings that run the gamut from baking and pickling to nutrition. "We want to do "meet the farmer" events on the off season because we have close relationships with farmers from the market," Bedell says.

Originally d:floured, the gluten-free bakeshop changed its name to Nuflours last summer after a legal dispute. Bedell and Rossi have been baking in a commercial kitchen since 2011 while planning a brick-and-mortar retail location.

A Capitol Hill resident for nearly a decade, Bedell says she always had the neighborhood in mind for a permanent home. "I was looking for a building that was family owned and operated," she says. "When this came up it was perfect for me. 15th is going through a transition, it's an exciting time with lots of change. We're just really excited to have a space in such an active neighborhood."

Bedell plans to start baking in the Capitol Hill spot by the end of March. "It allows us the chance to expand our business without just throwing open the doors," she says. Nuflours currently sells at farmers markets and more than 30 cafes and retailers including PCC, Victrola, and Vita. The Capitol Hill store will also be open for order pickups.

The bakery is expected to be complete and open to walk-in customers this summer. Or, as Bedell says, "summerish" since right now the pair's energy and funding is focused on the kitchen.
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