KINGSTON — Upon entering the newly constructed building near the Kingston ferry tollbooths, the wonderful smells of fresh baked bread, pastries and fudge fill the air.
It’s enough to make any well-meaning Kingston resident forget their New Year’s resolutions.
The new bakery, Truly Scrumptious, has occupied the space for a little more than a month. It opened Dec. 8, 2006 with treats in hand, and is already showing signs of being welcomed into the Little City by the Sea, said co-partner Kristine Wraspir.
“The reception has been fabulous,” she said. “People are so excited to have us here, especially with the fresh bread we offer. A lot of residents have lived here for many years, and they are happy to have a bakery in the community.”
The idea started when Wraspir began seeking a retail space to house her fudge company, Fat Cat Fudge. Knowing the goodie couldn’t support a shop on its own, she partnered with Mare Whittier — who runs two kitchens on the east side — to create a store which exposes shoppers to small companies’ products.
“We scoured farmers markets, both on the other side (of the Puget Sound) and this side, looking for people who’d like to use our shop to sell their products,” Wraspir said. “We offer space to people who don’t or can’t have shops of their own because their business is too small. The products have to be locally made in a commercial kitchen for us to sell them. We love local, homemade small businesses, but too often they don’t have a place to sell their goods. Everybody needs to start somewhere.”
The bakery offers local business owners the chance to sell their baked goods and sweets year-round, whereas before they would only have the seasonal farmers’ markets as a venue to do business, she said. Wraspir and Whittier are still fine-tuning their selections, adding here and trimming down a little there, but they are satisfied with their offerings.
“We’re adding things all the time,” Wraspir said. “We’re hoping to branch out into more savory foods, like cheeses, as we grow. And we’re going to put in an espresso station and some comfy chairs for people to sit in.”
Truly Scrumptious will also be adding gift baskets, either to be picked up or delivered, and offering office deliveries of pastries and muffins, as business improves, she said.
