Plum Bakery owner prepares to open Gardiner storefront in October

As she works inside the future home of the bakery at the busy corner of Water and Bridge streets, she often catches people peeking through the windows.

“I think the community is excited,” Lamontagne said. “People keep telling me they can’t wait to have bread here again. I see people walk by and peek in the windows and wave at me while I’m working.”

Lamontagne, 35, said she hopes to open Plum Bakery around the first week of October in the 347 Water St. location of the former Stonebroke Bread and Books, which closed last spring. Initially, the bakery will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with Lamontagne running the business on her own.

Originally from Connecticut, Lamontagne lived in Rhode Island and New York before moving to Maine in 2021. Although she has worked in hospitality since she was 16, opening a bakery wasn’t always part of her plan.

“I studied English literature in college; I had no idea what I wanted to do,” said Lamontagne. “Restaurants have just always been the places I’ve felt most at home, and something just really clicked for me when I started baking.”

That happened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when she began experimenting with sourdough while living in New York. She obsessively tended her starter before making her first two loaves, which she admits didn’t turn out particularly well.

“I knew they were bad, but it felt like magic, and I wanted to learn as much as I could,” Lamontagne said.

After being laid off from her job during the pandemic, she decided to pursue baking professionally and began contacting bakeries looking for an apprenticeship. Eventually, a small Brooklyn market took her on. There was a team of only three, so she was able to learn in a hands-on environment.

“It was a great place to work and learn on the job,” said Lamontagne. “I was able to have my hands on every aspect of production, and was also fortunate enough to be given the grace to make mistakes and learn from them.”

About a year ago, she began planning a business of her own — although Plum originally wasn’t supposed to be a bakery.

“The original idea for Plum was for a pizza shop, actually,” she said.

After running into logistical issues with her first plan, she began searching for a commercial spot. The owners of Stonebroke Bread and Books reached out to tell her that they were leaving their Water Street location.

Stonebroke’s closure meant downtown Gardiner would no longer have fresh bread, which helped Lamontagne shift her idea from pizza to a bakery.

“I live in Gardiner, and I knew I wanted to open my shop here,” said Lamontagne. “I’m excited to be able to continue providing bread from this space and for it to also continue to be a safe and welcoming space for people in my community.”

Plum Bakery will offer sourdough bread, baguettes, and seasonal pastries featuring locally grown ingredients. Lamontagne is especially excited about an oatmeal cream pie that was inspired by the classic packaged treat.

She also wants the bakery to be a place where customers feel comfortable staying a while. The bakery will include seating, pantry items, goods from local artists, and antiques that Lamontagne has collected and restored.

“My hope is that it feels lived-in and warm — a place you want to come back to over and over again,” she said.

She eventually hopes to hire employees, expand the hours, offer pizza one night a week, and host pop-up meals and other events.

“I hope to grow this business,” said Lamontagne, “but I hope that it happens slowly and organically, when the time is right.