Vendor Spotlight: Interocean Bakery

PHOTOS & ARTICLE BY: Kali McCrackin Goodenough

​Interocean Bakery, a new vendor at the Thursday Local Market this year, offers a unique twist on baked goods- not only is everything vegan, but some of the delicious treats are made with lentils.
“I have always baked with lentils,” says Reilly Dibner, owner of Interocean Bakery. “Lentils are one of my favorite foods. I like using beans instead of flour and I love the high protein and fiber in lentils.”
Reilly uses organic green and black lentils from Montana to make her Apple Cinnamon Rounds and Chocolate Truffle energy snacks. While lentils are not normally a sweet food, they are perfect for baking with because they take on other flavors really well. ​

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As an endurance athlete, Reilly has spent a lot of time making high energy, high protein snacks to keep her going without including huge amounts of sugar, cholesterol, and fat. After her son was born, however, she altered some of her favorite recipes to fit his dietary needs.
“My son had a dairy and soy intolerance, so I had to find a snack that I could eat easily with one hand and something that was dairy and soy free,” she says. “I needed something that would be safe for him and keep me going.”

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​The energy snacks she sells at the market do just that. In addition to these quick bites, Reilly started looking at other treats to make vegan. Her sights landed on tarts and soft pretzels, both of which come from long traditions with personal connections for Reilly.
The chocolate tarts Reilly brings to the market are a reminder of her time spent living in Ireland.
“There is a great British and Irish tradition of fancy dessert tarts,” Reilly says, and her vegan chocolate tarts are a beautiful representation of that tradition.
The soft pretzels comes from Reilly’s childhood.
“My mom is from Philadelphia and they have a big soft pretzel tradition there,” Reilly says. 

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​In addition to this connection, the soft pretzels are part of Reilly’s passion for making bread. She grew up in and around the Tassajara Zen Center in California where she learned to make bread in their well-known kitchen. With a little tweaking and some alterations, Reilly developed a vegan soft pretzel has quickly become a customer favorite at the market.
Interocean Bakery just started up this spring and Reilly is excited to see where it goes. “Selling at the farmers’ market is my first venture,” she says. “I love getting to meet new people and interact with people who are locals and maybe the occasional group passing through.”
This week, stop by Interocean Bakery to sample a tasty lentil energy snack, maybe try a vegan tart or pretzel, and say hello to Reilly and her 4-month old son.

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