Steven VanDermyden went against the grain and made a big business decision last summer. He opened his own bakery and cafe, devoted to true artisanal baking, in Captain Cook.
While having a bread business with a fierce emphasis on the best ingredients, natural leavening and radical freshness, may be harder to chew for some, VanDermyden was confident and his flour power is evident by the steady flow of customers.
Two years ago, VanDermyden began baking and selling breads at farmers markets in Captain Cook and Keauhou. This outlet gave him the opportunity to raise the capital to have a brick-and-mortar business, as well as test his product, gain exposure, build a customer base, determine the demand, and establish a relationship with other local producers. These farmers markets served as a startup incubator of sorts, giving him greater understanding of his business and validating assumptions. The experience helped him figure out his vision as an entrepreneur.
VanDermyden expanded by opening Oven &Butter, a full-service bakery and cafe at 82-6127 Mamalahoa Highway, in June. It’s a place dedicated to “putting the craft back in handcrafted breads.” Its specialty is sourdough breads, of which there are more than a dozen different varieties.
Food has been a part of VanDermyden’s life, from baking with his mother and grandmothers to working his first restaurant job in Stockton, Calif., where as a teen he was responsible for making two dozen French bread loaves served nightly. Baking bread was a hobby he started in 2010 after taking a class.
“I left the food industry for 20 years, when I operated a construction company for nine years and worked as a real estate broker for 14 years. Realizing that my passion really was in food, I decided to come back and follow my passion into food,” he said. “It took a while thinking about what I wanted to do before I remembered my passion and talent for bread. I still see the magic in seeing flour and water turn into a hot, fresh loaf of bread. I can’t think of anything better than that.”
Here, VanDermyden and his staff do things the old-fashioned way, meticulously spending hours of attention on loaves even before they reach the inside of an oven. Also all the meats, dressings, sauces, soups and stocks are made in house. VanDermyden chose the name Oven &Butter because “it resonates with what we do and evokes memories of food made a long time ago.” He added, “It’s all about real food.”
VanDermyden did a lot of research, made adaptions suited for baking in Hawaii, and created his own recipes. For him, the secret of great bread is that slow fermentation, which gives the product more flavor, texture and shelf life. There are also health benefits. Slow-fermented breads contain a variety of yeasts and bacteria that help convert important nutrients into a form more readily available and digestible to the body. Such breads are also easier on the digestive system for people who are sensitive to gluten, VanDermyden said.
The breads offered include pain au levain, cranberry walnut, deli rye, six grain whole wheat, garlic rosemary, potato, olive feta, jalapeno cream cheese, sesame, challah and English muffins. There’s a variety of baked treats, such as white pineapple coconut scones, lilikoi mango turnovers and salted caramel chocolate cookies.
For cafe items, VanDermyden strives to use as many local and organic products as possible. Open daily, Oven &Butter serves breakfast and lunch until 2 p.m., as well as a brunch on Sundays. The menu includes eggs Benedict, Greek frittata, French toast, fresh catch melt, reuben sandwich, kalua pork macaroni and cheese, and a soup and salad combo. Prices range from $3.45 to $14.45.
Also available are a full espresso bar serving Bebo’s Kona Coffee, kombucha on tap, free Wi-Fi, takeout, picnic lunch boxes, catering and wholesale bread. Oven &Butter does tours for school groups, aids with fundraising endeavors, and will eventually offer baking classes. An open house will be held in December.
For more information, call 323-2003 or visit ovenandbutter.com.