KINGFIELD – With her recent purchase of a local bakery, caf operator Victoria Parker now finds herself with the best of two worlds. The expanded space provides her with plenty of kitchen and oven space, a larger dining area and a historical Kingfield landmark, to boot.
Parker had been operating her Maine Street Caf out of a small, rented space which afforded her very little room for large-scale culinary creativity.
“I only had room for one small convection oven,” she says, “so I was baking all day long, very small batches at a time. I could only fit three cookies or six cinnamon rolls in at a time.”
Admittedly, they are rather large cookies and cinnamon buns, several of Parker’s trademark items.
When the opportunity arose to purchase the former Kingfield Primary School building, also on Main Street and being operated as a bakery, Parker and her husband, Ralph, saw a unique opportunity. Buy the bakery business, move the caf 1,000 feet north and offer customers a well rounded menu for breakfast and lunch. That is just what the Old School House Caf and Bakery is now doing.
The 19th-century building sits back from Main Street amidst a lawn full of trees and still retains much of its original charm inside. Parker uses the old blackboards to list her menu and keep tabs on her prep needs. The kitchen has her faithful small convection oven as well as two larger ovens and plenty of counter space. The high ceilings, surrounded by plaster moldings, add an airy feel to the open floor plan. Parker has taken art works from numerous area artists on consignment and spread them all around the walls in the dining area, adding a colorful and often whimsical touch to the room.
“It’s really wonderful,” Parker says, “we now own a piece of Kingfield history.”
The Primary School was built in 1875 and welcomed Kingfield students until 1964, when it was closed and students were moved to a newer building closer to the Stanley School on School Street.
The menu offers freshly made breakfast and lunch items. Parker enjoys coming up with her daily specials and soups, as well as making sandwiches and wraps, staples of her menu. The bakery part of the business offers homemade breads, scones, muffins, pastries, pies and cookies, and a selection of gourmet food items can be purchased. Locally-roasted Carrabassett Coffee is also a staple here, as well as cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate.
“My husband does some of the baking, too, which has been fun for him, and for me,” Parker says.
She welcomes call-ahead orders if that is what customers want, and takes orders for larger quantities of things as needed.
The Old School House Caf and Bakery is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and is closed on Sunday. Parker may be reached at 265-2323.
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