KINGSTON TWP. — Kate Evans fondly holds on to childhood memories of walking into Dymonds Farm Market Bakery and the sweet smells and delicious sights of the selection of fresh-baked goods.

When the Dymond family closed the bakery in January, Evans and her mother Cathie called with the hopes of opening their own bakery in the space.

“We were told there were others who expressed interest in the bakery space,” Evans said. “So we tabled that idea.”

Ten months later, Evans and Cathie noticed the space was still unused while the produce section of Dymonds Farm Market remained active.

She called again.

Her persistence paid off.

On Dec. 8, the 28-year-old walked into the bakery, crossed behind the counter, an area she could not enter as a child, and began preparing her first batch of crumb pie topping as an entrepreneur.

“It felt right, like I belonged there,” she said.

The Harveys Lake residents have completed their first weeks in business.

“Everything is going very well,” Evans said. “Everyone is very supportive.”

And how could it not — Evans has her mother and Jolaine Dymond coaching her along the way.

Jolaine was the former baker of the Dymonds Farm Market Bakery, whose sticky buns, pies, buns and bagels forged a fan following. Jolaine is sharing some of her recipes with Evans and Cathie.

Now, the bakery shelves are now full. Kate and Cathie offer seven to eight pies daily, plus sticky buns, a variety of fresh breads and cookies, which include Dymonds’ soft-baked sugar cookies.

“We will also have a craft wheat bread,” Kate said.

Kate’s love of baking developed as a child when she spent countless hours in the kitchen baking with her mom.

“My mom is my partner,” she said. “We were always in the kitchen. Baking is a fun way to be creative.”

Kate pursued her interest and earned an associates degree in pastry arts from Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke.

She worked as an assistant pastry chef at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre and sold some of her baked goods at the Back Mountain and Tunkhannock farmers markets.

She further tested her culinary skills by entering her Swedish Apple Pie in the 2016 Luzerne County Fair Apple Pie contest.

“I won and advanced to the state competition,” she said, noting on the state level she finished within the top 25 contestants in the Commonwealth.

In 2017, Kate entered her chocolate cake into the Bloomsburg Fair and won first place out of 23 contestants. She will advance to compete in the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January 2018.

Kate Evans puts finishing touches on cookies for her recently opened bakery at Dymonds Farm Market in Shavertown.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_Kate-Evans-2.jpg.optimal.jpgKate Evans puts finishing touches on cookies for her recently opened bakery at Dymonds Farm Market in Shavertown. Submitted photo

By Eileen Godin

egodin@timesleader.com

Dymonds Farm Market

750 Main Road, Shavertown

Hours:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Friday

8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Phone: 570-675-1696

Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.