AUGUSTA — There are few things more pleasing than the aroma of fresh baked goods. It evokes a feeling of comfort and anticipation that few people can resist.
In many places, the wholesome goodness and creativity of beloved neighborhood bakeries have been replaced with superstore preservatives and cookie-cutter products. Luckily for Maysville and surrounding communities, the time-honored tradition of baking in the old way is still alive and well at Hillsong Farm’s Bakery in Augusta.
Marc and Amy Fry, along with their son, Henry, embraced the baking business in 2019. When an opportunity arose for Marc to retire early from 3M after 25 years, he ran with it. Then his family had to decide what their next step would be.
“My wife wanted to sell flowers, but they weren’t ready yet, so she decided to bake a few items to get a presence.”
Those first baked goods sold out, and when Amy did the same thing the following week, it happened again. Marc told Amy, “Maybe we have something here.”
What started out as selling select items at the Bracken County Farmer’s Market, has turned into a full-time business for the family when they moved to the Mason County Farmer’s Market for larger distribution. Now the bakery, which Marc said started humbly, sells to several local businesses, provides catering services and bakes for the Beehive Restaurant.
“I’ll tell everyone that I’m the pretty face who sells the products but my wife and son do all the baking,” Marc joked.
Marc said they sell a little bit of everything—bread, cakes, cookies, pies and quiches.
“We bake traditionally, using real cream, real butter and fresh fruits. I tell my wife that she’s a surrogate grandmother to a lot of people in that way.”
Amy, who is completely self-taught, is adventurous in her baking ideas having offered over 150 items, including international bread. One of the reasons her baked items are healthier than store-bought is because Amy bakes without preservatives.
Marc explained it’s a hard, hot job with long hours, but the family has developed a routine that works well and they’re proud of the fact that during the early days of COVID-19, they didn’t run out of bread when places like Kroger did.
“COVID brought people to the market that normally wouldn’t have been there because of the food shortages,” Marc said.
After 25 years of being the sole breadwinner — no pun intended — Eric said the family is enjoying working together to provide for the household.
When the Fry family isn’t baking bread, they have farm animals to care for, including furry pet Highland cows.
As Hillsong Bakery presents scrumptious bread and desserts for the community to enjoy, the family is likely building a long-lasting enterprise that will continue to grow because baked goods are an indulgence that makes us all happy.
For all your baking needs or to pre-order something special, contact Amy Fry at 606-402-0643, hillsongfarmsbakery@gmail.com. The bakery has a wide assortment of baked goods available for purchase every Saturday at the Mason County Farmers Market in Old Washington (in the old bingo hall) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.