The oldest new bakery in town




 

 

The name of the establishment almost tells the whole story: The Fine Sconehenge Bake Shop and Deli in Camarillo offers an array of fine, fresh goodies that are produced right on the premises, including an assortment of scones, cookies, brownies and bars.

New on the menu are specialty sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffee as well as fresh bread made on site daily for the public to purchase. The bread is also used for the sandwiches.

Come by on a Tuesday and you’ll smell the irresistible aroma of chocolate brownies being baked. Like a cartoon character that is lifted into the air and transported along a wafting scent, you’ll also be drawn by your nose to follow the lovely aroma to Sconehenge.

But be prepared for a bit of a hunt because the establishment is in a surprising spot: an industrial area of Camarillo on Flynn Road. However, finding it is as good as finding lost treasure.

Owner Debbie Rose said she got involved in the business when the original owners, who’d run the company for 14 years, retired two years ago and she was seeking a perfect fit for the second half of her life. Already familiar with the business side of things, she took her love for baking and poured it into Sconehenge.

“I grew up baking and was the go-to person for baked goods,” Rose said. “I can read a recipe and know how it’s going to taste, so I can make a lot of adaptations.”

When she bought the business it was mainly a wholesale baking company with customers like UCLA, Lassen’s and Mother’s Market. But she’s already put her own spin on it by adding fresh bread to the roster and opening up the premises to the public as a deli.

“I did this because I really needed another way to offer our baked goods,” she said.

A Camarillo resident, Rose is working to let neighbors known that the bakery is in the area.

“People who’ve lived here many years are saying, ‘I’ve lived in Camarillo for 25 years and didn’t know you were here.’ That’s why I call it the oldest new bakery in town,” she said. “And we’ve been re-imagining ourselves.”

With the addition of bread baker Esteban de la Cruz to the staff, the establishment now offers over 15 varieties of freshly made bread and rolls, including ciabatta, sourdough, baguettes, focaccia and caraway seed loaves.

Patrons will be delighted by the tasty treats and pastries. In addition to yummy scones, cookies and brownies, you’ll find croissants, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cheese Danish and coffee roasted right in Camarillo.

“We don’t use a lot of extra sugar (in our baked goods). You can taste they’re homemade, and we balance the flavors,” Rose said. “And there’s no extra salt added to anything, and we use fine butter—we go the extra mile.”

Customers can opt for breakfast choices like homemade granola with yogurt or vegan mixed-berry muffins. Those with diet restrictions will appreciate gluten-free items such as the lemon bars and fudge brownies.

Rose is obviously proud of all the goodies.

“We stand by the quality of our products,” she said. “We don’t cut corners—nothing is half-baked. We put out an honest product.”

Lunch items include freshly prepared seasonal salads, like a tasty black bean salad perfectly balanced with beans, corn and lime vinaigrette, or there’s spinach arugula with feta cheese, strawberries and a citrus vinaigrette.

“All the condiments and dressings are made from scratch on site, too,” Rose said.

Try one of their best-selling sandwiches, such as the satisfying turkey and cheddar with mustard on sliced sourdough bread almost an inch thick. Or you’ll get a kick—literally—from the caprese sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomato, greens and a medium spicy chili pesto nestled on a fresh soft roll that offers a perfect chewy bite.

Other sandwich choices include veggie, chicken salad, and ham and cheese.

“We use fresh local produce as much as possible,” Rose said. “And we also have handmade pretzels new on the menu.”

For Acorn readers, she said, she’ll throw in a free brownie with the purchase of any deli item.

The shop offers catered sandwich platters for local schools and companies.

Remember the name, the Fine Sconehenge Bake Shop and Deli: “It’s a big mouthful, like the food,” Rose said.

Visit the bake shop and deli from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1320 Flynn Road (at Adolfo Road) Ste. B, in Camarillo. Call (805) 389-0033, email orders@finesconehengebakingco.com or visit the website, www.finesconehengebakingco.com.

Ela Lindsay can be reached at elindsay@theacorn.com.

Recipe: Fine Sconehenge Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1¾ cups flour (bread flour is best)

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter

. cup sugar

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (usually 3)

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts (divided into 2 half-cup portions) cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, milk, and eggs and mix well.

Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix until flour is just incorporated, then add in the remaining dry ingredients and ½ cup walnuts. Blend together until everything is mixed together. Do not overstir.

Pour batter into a greased 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Top the batter with the remaining walnuts and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.


FRESH AND HOMEMADE—The staff of Fine Sconehenge Bake Shop and Deli: Front row: Owner Debbie Rose and bread baker Esteban de la Cruz. Back row, from left: Diane Goodson, deli manager; Lety Lugo, head baker; Michelle Sweet, production assistant, and Will Lopez, sales.

FRESH AND HOMEMADE—The staff of Fine Sconehenge Bake Shop and Deli: Front row: Owner Debbie Rose and bread baker Esteban de la Cruz. Back row, from left: Diane Goodson, deli manager; Lety Lugo, head baker; Michelle Sweet, production assistant, and Will Lopez, sales.

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