Bread Club Bands Denver Bakeries Together

Even though Colorado’s high altitude can intimidate any novice baker, it hasn’t held back Denver’s baking scene in the slightest. Each neighborhood is decorated with multiple micro-bakeries harnessing their artisan craft to provide for those around them. These small but mighty forces are fusing together by the work of micro-bread baker and founder of Rebel Bread Zach Martinucci as he constructs a way to distribute all these provisions to patron’s doorsteps. Thanks to him, folks can now rely on Bread Club, Denver’s first bakery-specific delivery service.

READ: Denver’s Bread Club Cares About Community and Carbs

The past couple of years has normalized the idea of door-to-door service. However, oftentimes networks providing this service are nationwide chains. Bread Club maintains the locality aspect that other operations lacked. Its premise functions in acknowledging the wealth of talent breathing in Denver.

Zach Martinucci, creator of Bread Club. Photo by Haley Paez.

“On the exterior, it’s easy to tell we are a bread business, but our deeper goal is to foster more connection here in the city,” said Martinucci. “There are many areas that bind people and we know food is a major one.”

With a name like Rebel Bread, a common misconception could be that Martinucci is the “bad boy” of baking, with a rock and roll edge to him. While his arm tattoo helps paint that narrative, his truly bubbly and warm personality can’t be contained when meeting new people or talking about one of his greatest joys — bread. It makes his mission of empowering the baking scene of Denver that much more meaningful.

Martinucci’s team extends beyond those that run his kitchen on Broadway, rather he continues to bind new bakeries together with Bread Club. In its initial phases, Bread Club was for Rebel Bread fans to get his traditional San Francisco sourdough to their doorstep. The cult for this crusty bread grew stronger as Rebel Bread’s exposure grew after its time at the farmer’s market.

Bread Club signifies more than the buyers, now Martinucci and other local bakers are in the club to provide for the community. Thus, those lovely loaves are just one of the many choices available. Rebel Bread contributes croissants and other morning pastries — including chocolate chip cookies, which could also be a morning pick me up if so desired. However, much like people, baking has a depth of diversity to it. Therefore the club now incorporates a variety of sweet and savory options, as well as bread and pastry — the gamut is grand.

Martinucci knows bread and that’s non-negotiable, but he began to think more about the folks that might want sweets, tarts and doughnuts. We all witnessed these great bakes at the farmer’s market as did Martinucci. With the season closing out and people still enthralled by their routine Saturday and Sunday orders after spending the summer at the farmer’s market — clearly, the ease of getting these goods had to continue. Therefore, subscribers can see a plethora of bakes arriving either on Tuesday, Thursday or available for pick up.

Martinucci intertwines his food with conversation. His bakery doubles as a bread school and a resource for learning about this amazing world of baking.  His catchy phase of being “bread friends” now encompasses a circle of bakers uniting the community.

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Each bakery offers a special part of the baking puzzle. So joining Bread Club means more than just picking up loafs from the store. It means waking up to cardamom sweet buns perfuming the house from Rebel Bread. It signifies nostalgia when the toaster oven pops out a homemade pop-tart from Sugar Bakeshop. It offers up full donuts as the donut hole sits perfectly on top of every masterpiece from Pandemic Donuts. It takes chances on traditional bakes by adding rye to a chocolate chip cookie recipe and sprinkling it with flakey salt from Moon Raccoon Baking Co. Finally, it makes the holidays seem like a weekly occurrence with pies at the ready to be purchased from Mile High Pie Co.

Folks have the flexibility to try products from any one or all of the listed bakeries. Since a well-balanced diet is recommended it only makes sense to take the whole haul. They choose between a one-time or a subscription service. Those that opt for a subscription can order weekly or once every four weeks depending on their need. Breaks are available as well. Whether the family is still savoring the last of the previous week’s loaf or there’s a vacation on the horizon.

Depending on the bakery, the item count can change. When it comes to pastries they usually come in a pack of two. The lowest option is a four-count option and the highest is 12. Pandemic Donuts sell for either a half dozen or full dozen. For Rebel Bread fans, the options range from bread or pastry to both. Missing out on a week results in missing a new flavor drop; with weekly adjustments to the menu, it intrigues subscribers to stay a least one more week.

Sugar coating the Morning Buns at Rebel Bread. Photo by Haley Paez.

However, loyal members know that there are a few rules to this club. One: San Francisco sourdough will forever be featured. Two: this club is always looking for more members whether it’s recipients or those providing the product. Three: there are enough bakes to go around.

Learn more and order from Bread Club here