Plymouth Baker Competes in ‘Halloween Baking Championship’
Every week for the last three months, customers have flocked to the Plymouth Farmers Market for fresh produce and freshly-baked goods.
“We’ve come down to get some of that famous bread, the beer cheese sourdough,” said Dan Lyrek of Delano.
The market features nearly 30 local vendors, but there’s one stand that’s suddenly garnered an immense amount of popularity.
“The Kindred Cottage,” said Julie Blake of Brooklyn Center.
The Kindred Cottage is Megan Carroll’s self-described “microbakery and makery.”
“I was actually a food photographer before this, and then A.I. kind of became available to the masses, and my business just fell out from underneath me,” said Carroll, a Plymouth resident. “So I needed to make a physical job that A.I. can’t take from me, and so I did this.”
On a recent fall day, people were lined up before she even opened to get their hands on Carroll’s famous sourdough bread.
“I like sourdough bread, so thought it’d be a great thing to come out and support her,” said Blake.
But sourdough isn’t the only reason why visiting The Kindred Cottage is a “no-grainer” for folks.
Megan Carroll of The Kindred Cottage, seen here at the Plymouth Farmers Market, is a contestant on the Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Championship.”
Television stardom
Carroll has recently become somewhat of a celebrity. She’s one of 10 bakers competing on the Food Network show, “Halloween Baking Championship.“
“I was watching the show one night and just decided, yeah I think I can do that,” Carroll said. “And decided to apply and just got lucky.”
In the season’s first episode, she tried to impress the judges by baking a pomegranate chocolate cake with a ghost theme.
“You just did Minnesota proud,” the show’s host, John Henson, said to Carroll during the first episode.
“Oh yah, you betcha,” Carroll responded, using a heavy Minnesota accent.
“Do I throw a couple extra ‘you betchas’ out there? Absolutely, because the judges loved it,” Carroll said. “And it was so fun to just make them giggle.”
What’s even more fun, is seeing the response from customers since the show premiered Sept. 15.
“Yeah I’m getting a lot of attention,” Carroll said.
But it’s attention that’s helping to bring more viewers to the show and grow her small business in the process.
“You know, [I’ll] follow her all winter long,” said Lyrek, the customer from Delano. “I may gain a lot of poundage, but it’ll be great for the winter.”
“Halloween Baking Championship” airs Mondays on the Food Network. You can also catch the episodes on HBO Max. The winner receives a $25,000 prize and the title of Halloween Baking Champion.
Megan Carroll (in pink) is one of 10 contestants competing on this season of Halloween Baking Championship. Photo courtesy: Food Network
Related: Plymouth Farmers Market is Wednesdays At Parkers Lake Playfield
