For most of us, a visit to the neighborhood bakery is an inextricable part of the day; it's more a necessity than, say, a pleasure or experience. (Coffee addicts get it.) But in New Hampshire, Blue Loon Bakery is not your typical neighborhood bakery. From its location inside a beautifully converted 1830s farmhouse to its commitment to making *everything* from scratch daily to its welcoming hospitality and community-minded ethos, Blue Loon Bakery in New London, New Hampshire, serves up delicious sweets and smiles to all who come through its doors.

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Bread isn't simply a delightfully delicious food; it's something made with great love, care, time, and attention. It's a true work of art.

This art of bread is something the owners of Blue Loon Bakery in New London, New Hampshire, take very seriously.

Blue Loon Bakery was established in 2018 and is owned by Laurie Schive and Mike Morgan. Mike and Laurie made New London their long-term home in 2016, having owned property there since 2012. Before this, the couple had enjoyed long careers with the U.S. Government and were ready to take on a new challenge.

"[We] wanted to stay active and become involved in the town," explains Laurie, who adds that she had taught herself how to make bread while living in Austria, where the couple had enjoyed European-style breads and pastries.

A bakery seemed to be a "logical next step," so they set about acquiring property, machinery, and employees, finally opening in June 2018.

The name of the bakery comes from Mike and Laurie’s granddaughter, who, when told they were thinking about opening a bakery in town, offered both her support and the name "Blue Loon Bakery," thanks to her love of loons. "When informed that there actually were no blue loons, Marissa (aged 12 at the time) said, 'Well, I don’t care, that’s a good name, and you should use it,'" recalls Laurie.

Today, the New London bakery is well-known as an award-winning, made-from-scratch artisan bakery focusing on naturally-leavened breads and traditionally made Viennoiserie pastries.

"The bakery belongs to the Bread Bakers Guild of America (BBGA), a national nonprofit supporting the craft of artisan bread baking," says Laurie. "Our team tries to live our mission: Bake amazing bread and pastries, serve as a community gathering spot, and give back to others," she says. (PS: These marvelous, perfectly aligned layers in the laminated croissant dough? That's what makes Blue Loon's croissants so wonderfully fluffy and flaky!)

While the European-inspired breads and pastries are in a league of their own, we're partial to Blue Loon's Northeast-inspired creations, like this blueberry crumb pie!

It's not all sweets at this bakery, either. Those looking for a light lunch can stop in for a delicious sandwich made with (of course) chewy, fresh-baked bread.

Location is another key ingredient in Blue Loon's success. "We do all of [our work] from a property that was once an 1830s farmhouse and an 1880s barn on Main Street in New London," explains Laurie.

The historic farmhouse has long been a town presence, serving as a residence, tailor’s shop, jeweler’s shop, and interior design studio. When the couple purchased the property, they went to great lengths to maintain its historic integrity, which is a common theme in New England.

The bakery has been involved in the community from the beginning, delivering the first batch of weekly bread donations to the Kearsarge Food Pantry the day after opening in 2018.

The bakery also collaborates with Dartmouth Health’s New London Hospital, baking special pies for hospital staff during the holidays and participating in New London Hospital Days. During the long-standing collaboration with the Center for the Arts, the bakery has served as a display venue for many local artists. Moreover, Blue Loon also focuses on sponsoring or contributing to fundraising efforts across a wide spectrum of non-profit initiatives, from local hospitals to Ausbon Sargent land preservation to the Loon Preservation Committee, explains Laurie.

In a few short years, Blue Loon Bakery has solidified its place in the New London community, rising to overcome challenges and proving time and time again that when you put your heart and soul into something, it always pays off.

And at Blue Loon Bakery, this labor of love pays off in the most delicious of ways!

Many thanks to Laurie Schive and Mike Morgan for sharing the story of this delightful New Hampshire bakery. Learn more about Blue Loon Bakery at its website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Of course, Blue Loon Bakery is just one of the many amazing small businesses in New Hampshire; please nominate your favorite attractions and businesses for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Only In New Hampshire article. And be sure to follow Only In New Hampshire on Facebook and Instagram to learn about this region of the Granite State’s most incredible places, attractions, and events.