When Pigs Fly Bakery to Open on Centre Street

At the corner of Centre Street and Grovernor Road, in the same row of stores where and are located, When Pigs Fly Bakery plans to open in early June. It will hire about three people locally as sampler slicers and counter persons, and a fourth employee will be relocating from Maine. 

Co-owner Ron Siegel, originally from York, Maine, started When Pigs Fly Bakery in 1993. After working in restaurants in Boston during the 90s, Siegel decided to enter the bread-baking business and practiced baking loaves in his kitchen oven. When he was ready to start the bakery, Siegel rented a small space in Wells, Maine and brought samples to local stores and restaurants. On the first day of business in 1993, he delivered 80 loaves of bread.

Ron’s brother Andrew, enticed by the quality of his brother’s baking, decided to change careers from accountant to baker.

According to Siegel, When Pigs Fly bread is an an “... all natural, with no added fats or preservatives [bread maker]."

The bakery produces over 12,000 loaves on busy days, but he said the baking process has not changed from the first batch of 80 loaves baked over 15 years ago.

"All varieties are mixed from scratch each day using unbleached flour milled to our specifications," Siegel wrote.

The company now employs 60 workers in York, Kittery, and Freeport, Maine; Portsmouth, N.H.; and , which is their closest location to JP.

You can call to have your favorite bread baked and pick it up when is ready. Prices range from $4-6 per loaf and are determined by the bread's ingredients.

“We chose Jamaica Plain for several reasons. First is we really like the town," Siegel wrote in an email. "We have had our bread for sale for several years at the and customers really like it. Jamaica Plain seems to be a community of down-to-earth people who enjoy good food. I know there is lots of competition and thats fine. I think that Jamaica Plain is certainly big enough for all of us."

Siegel said he thinks When Pigs Fly will be successful in JP because even though people have their favorites they prefer to have lots of choices.

“I think more choices brings out more people," he wrote. "Our store is similar to some of the competition in that we will offer all natural breads that are baked early in the  morning and will be available for only that day.”

The bakery plans to offer 25 to 30 flavors of handcrafted bread every day in addition to fresh-baked cookies, bread pudding cakes, oils, vinegars, jams and other spreads.

“The best part is the sampling table. We will sample all breads so if you see something but want to try it first you can,” Siegel wrote.

According to Siegel their most popular flavors are orange cranberry with toasted walnut; spinach with roasted onions and garlic ciabatta; mango, ginger pineapple with raisins and toasted sesame. The bakery also accepts suggestions from customers for new flavors and products.

“We are really looking forward to offer the community something fun delicious and different. See you soon," wrote Andrew Siegel.