Local Love: The Cottage, Community Bakery

Here at Sno-Isle Food Co-op, we strive to carry locally produced, high-quality goods whenever possible. So when our staff tasted samples from The Cottage, Community Bakery, we knew we had to make room on our shelves for this outstanding bread.

Founder Conor O'Neill created The Cottage as a means to connect with and share naturally leavened bread with his local community in Lynnwood and Edmonds, WA. Conor traveled to Paris, France in December 2016 and learned about the "old-world" processes and techniques of naturally-leavened bread making. When he returned from his trip, he experimented with locally-milled flours from the Palouse region. Before starting The Cottage, Conor spent time at Columbia City Bakery in Seattle, which equipped him with the experience and skills to continue dreaming of opening a bakery of his own.

In March 2018, Conor launched 'The Cottage at Blue Ridge' in his Lynnwood home. A few months later, The Cottage began expanding its selection of products and started hosting Pop-Up events in Perrinville, just blocks from where the bread had been baked fresh that morning. Lines of neighbors and bread-lovers eagerly waited to purchase sourdough breads and pastries each Saturday morning. Then in 2021, The Cottage opened its first storefront in Perrinville, Wa. Today, the business has grown into a thriving bakery, producing 3,000-3,500 loaves each week with a dedicated team of over 45 staff members.

"At The Cottage, Community Bakery, we pride ourselves on crafting high-quality sourdough bread made with locally-sourced ingredients, including flour from the Skagit Valley, "says Colin. "Our bread is baked with care, using traditional methods and a commitment to consistency, flavor, and sustainability. Customers trust The Cottage because our bread reflects a deep passion for quality, community, and authenticity—values we've upheld since day one. Whether it's a crisp baguette, hearty loaf, or our pillowy focaccia bread, your customers can feel confident they're enjoying bread that's as wholesome as it is delicious."

Currently, you can find their Country Sourdough Loaves and Sea Salt Focaccia Rounds at our Co-op, with the hopes of bringing on more delicious loaves in the near future.