Ecologically friendly Red Bread to open storefront in Culver City
Red Bread, one of L.A.’s most popular bakeries, will open its first brick and mortar store in Culver City Saturday.
Rose Lawrence, the founder of Red Bread, has long been passionate about food justice. She previously worked as a lawyer, specializing in food legislation. As she grew jaded about the legal profession, she became more fascinated by food. When wholesome, ecologically sound food was not available, she taught herself how to make it, including jams, pickles, charcuterie and, of course, bread.
Seeking to directly affect her local community, Lawrence opened Red Bread last year. It began as a virtual bakery, taking orders online and delivering the goods each Sunday to Westside homes via electric bicycles. Demand skyrocketed, and Red Bread set up shop in farmers’ markets, selling out every day.
On Saturday, Red Bread will open a permanent home, serving breakfast, lunch, and tea. Pantry items available for sale will include raw dairy products, organic jams, sourdough breads and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (a recipe that took three years to perfect). The shop will be open Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fleet of bicycles will still make weekly deliveries.
Since Red Bread’s beginning, Lawrence has striven to be “socially and ecologically conscious in all [company] decisions”, opting not only to use electric bicycles but also to take into consideration which farmers to buy from. Her food inspiration comes from “following nature’s operating instructions” and she keeps her products as natural as possible. There is no industrial pectin in the jam; instead she relies on the pectin already present in fruit and citrus.
Lawrence also uses her legal background by inspiring customers to become involved in food legislation through lectures and mailings for food justice campaigns. Five percent of all proceeds are donated to the L.A. Food Bank.
Lawrence also teaches classes on preserves and baking and plans to host a monthly movie-themed pop-up, starting with a Jaws seafood dinner in August.
13322 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, (424) 272-5752.
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