The Victory Cheese Fun-Do! box, including Westfield baker B’s Breads rye round, is available for curbside pickup at The Eastern States Farmers Market. (THE BIG E PHOTO)
WESTFIED – Even without a fair, The Big E has plenty of delicious ways to celebrate the season, and Westfield resident Barbara Bednaz is contributing with her own B’s Breads.
Bednaz was contacted by The Big E to participate in The Eastern States Farmers Market, which offers weekly curbside pickup of Victory Cheese Boxes complete with the makings for a tasty evening at home.
Bednaz will have her B’s Breads Rye in the Oct. 8 Victory Cheese Box Fun-Do!, which includes 8 oz. Springbrook Farm Tarentaise, 8 oz. Springbrook Farm Reading, a 5 lb. tote of Mountain Orchards Mutsu Apples, Sankow’s Beaver Brook Farm’s feta pesto, one B’s Breads rye round and 1 5oz. package of Jack’s White Wine Crackers.
According to its website, the Eastern States Exposition has joined the Victory Cheese movement to help dairy farmers and artisan cheesemakers increase sales and market their products. The Eastern States Farmers Market offers cheeses, jellies, jams, crackers and other New England products directly to consumers through its curbside pickup service.
Order your Victory Cheese Box online, and it will be ready for curbside pick-up at the Eastern States Farmers Market located inside Gate 9A. Pick-ups are scheduled every other Thursday and Friday until the end of the year, and offer a variety of items in each Victory Cheese Box.
Orders should be placed online by noon the Tuesday before pickup at farmersmarket.thebige.com. There are add-on options as well, including B’s Bread crusty white bread.
Bednaz said someone recommended her to The Big E.
“I was very happy they reached out to me,” she said. “I was asked to send them a bread list for the victory Cheese Box. They decided on rye and then asked me if I would do the crusty white.” Bednaz said the Fun-Do! box order deadline is Oct. 6, then she will have two days to fill the orders.
“This could be 20 orders or 100!” she said, adding that she dropped off one of her pizza kits to The Big E for consideration to add to the market.
“I’m very excited as I have been trying very hard to get my B’s Breads back out in the market place,” she said, adding she will have her breads at a craft fair at the Agawam American Legion this weekend to benefit veterans.
Bednaz said Gristmill Café of Southwick donated coffee for the veterans’ benefit.
B’s Breads has begun taking orders once again and Bednaz said Cinn-a-Bread Buns and English muffin bread have been the most requested recently.
“This is by word of mouth,” she said. “I will be offering delivery too.”
Bednaz said her business slowed during the pandemic while she concentrated on keeping her family healthy and she was looking to get her bread back into the community, especially because she wants to feed people who need help providing meals.
“I am going to start doing Italian Bread Kits to help families in need,” she said. “They will first be available at Mama Cakes with a donation box. They can either purchase a kit or put a donation in the box to provide for another person in need — like a pay-it-forward with breads. I will then work with food pantries and others to be able to help families that are in need. I’m still working out the details and putting together the kits, which will be in sealed food bags.”
Bednaz can be contacted through her B’s Breads facebook page.
