Editor’s Note

The Faithful Bread Head

JOANIE SPENCER Editor-in-Chief | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com I love bread. I mean, I love it like Oprah circa 2016. Or like Joey Tribbiani’s obsession with sandwiches on Friends. I guess you could call me a “bread head.”

Whether it’s a grilled cheese on jalapeño cheddar sourdough or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat or even good oldfashioned white bread on the side of my Kansas City barbecue … I. Love. Bread.

Lucky for me, bread — of every shape and size — is in its prime.

A renaissance started last year, and it’s still going strong. Local bakeries are breaking out as regional players, and regional ones are breaking into larger markets through acquisitions and new branding. Even the big guns are innovating as they fill store shelves with new products.

I know our industry is facing supply chain disruption and a critical labor shortage, but bread is still nourishing and comforting people. Now more than ever, it’s important to lock arms and support one another in every way possible. Whether it’s best practices on worker retention or tips on where to find gluten, the collective effort is key to maintaining momentum in this upheaval.

I firmly believe that a combination of collaboration and competition is what will keep the sandwiches coming. This bread head is counting on it.