Ellis Bakery, a new bake shop featuring made-from-scratch breads, cookies, muffins, rolls, donuts, cakes, pies and bars — as well as a breakfast menu, is now open in the Jimmy’s Pizza building at 14068 Bank St., in Becker.
Owner and pastry chef Linda Ellis, 48, is a master baker with a commercial baking degree from Mitchell, SD. The shop is now open Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. (Closed Sunday & Monday).
“I’ve accumulated my equipment through auctions over the years and have had them stored at my home,” said Ellis. “Until I quit my job, I was looking for some place I could get started where the business had a kitchen and was not open in the mornings.”
Ellis had been working as a pastry chef for 10 years at the Wellstead of Rogers and Diamondcrest Senior Living facility on So. Diamond Lake Rd. It’s a facility assisting seniors who are dealing with alzheimers, dementia and other memory-care issues.
Ellis first approached Fred Gordon, owner of Jimmy’s Pizza in October, then made the decision to quit her FT position in Rogers to open the shop in Becker the week before Thanksgiving.
“I was encouraged to do it by my fiancé (Brian Smith) after mulling it over for quite some time,” said Linda. “He’s been a huge supporter of my decision and has been behind me all the way.”
Ellis is widowed and has three children ages 23, 21 and 15. She and her family have a hobby farm in Becker Twp. and have lived in the area for nine years.
“We moved up here from Champlin because we were looking for a change, something different,” said Linda. “I had heard about the good schools and the rest is history.”
Ellis is quickly being noticed for her fresh bakery items and people have been clamoring to get their hands on her onion and dill bread, her molasses oatmeal bread and her caramel rolls. All her tasty treats are made from scratch, just the way her mom and grandma used to make them.
“It has always been a dream of mine to open a bakery with wonderful pastries and breads like my grandmothers and my mom would make,” she said.
“The recipes used at Ellis Bakery are a collection from the bakers that have influenced me and taught me about old fashioned goodness. The pie crusts are hand rolled with a rolling pin, not a machine and there are no preservatives added to my products.”
Linda has been very active in participating in community events such as the are farmer’s market, customer appreciation days for local businesses, craft shows, indoor garage sales and the business expo. She also contracts with a Minnesotan (Sue Kakuk) to bake her “Kakookies” that she sells via her website or at various venues across the United States. The Kakookies are gluten, egg and dairy free treats made with pure ingredients.
Linda also does custom cake baking for weddings and specialty items for events.
She has cookies in all varieties as well as apple, blueberry, caramel apple, cherry, pumpkin and rhubarb pies, brownies, pumpkin bars, special K bars, summertime cheesecakes and raspberry, chocolate, S’mores, strawberry and vanilla cupcakes. Many more items available upon request.
“So far, this experience has been great and I appreciate the business,” Linda says. “It’s nerve-wracking and I’ve see a lot of businesses around here come and go but I truly hope I stay around for a long time.”
Linda at Ellis Bakery can be reached by phone at 651-497-8560.
