April Robinson’s expansion from cuisinier to patissier to entrepreneur has the bones of a good rom-com. Here’s the gist: Girl—a starry-eyed 20-something—moves to New York to learn to cook and gets noticed by gastronomical greats like Alain Ducasse and Gray Kunz. She then falls in love, sets down roots in Maine based on those strong feelings, and opens a booming local bakery. But in this case, the love interest is not human—it’s a building. “I found my dream space,” Robinson says. “Then it broke my heart.”
The roomy rental, part of a brick building in downtown Brunswick, checked all the boxes. “I pictured running a full bakery, an [authentic] patisserie, and a brunch service,” Robinson says, as she describes her initial business plan for Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie. She saw the makings of a full-scale prep space with enough room to accommodate her equipment, including two gleaming MIWE ovens she had on order from Germany. “I was so excited about those ovens,” Robinson says, noting that the top-tier stacked convection and deck units were a custom design.
It would have been happily ever after if contractors hadn’t discovered a slew of significant structural challenges to Robinson’s plan as they dug into the retrofit to accommodate the ovens. “We found out that my equipment would have literally fallen straight through the floor,” Robinson says.
Fortunately, entrepreneurial culinarians are a resilient bunch, and Robinson is no exception.
Shortly after she canceled her lease, a new opportunity arose. Located a stone’s throw from the “one that got away,” the building at 111 Maine Street, a charming three-story structure built circa 1850, went up for sale. Robinson didn’t hesitate. “I went from leasing a space to buying an entire building, seemingly overnight!”
The decision to buy wasn’t without its setbacks. “I had to ditch the ovens,” Robinson says, noting that the foreign units weren’t electrically compatible with the new building. “I’ve also had to edit my original vision a lot. I’ve pretty much become a croissanterie, which, for now anyway, is great fun.”
It seems patrons find no fault with the current menu at Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie. The croissants—which may as well be flaky, pillowy portholes to Paris—hardly have a chance to cool before they’re snatched from the display case. While you can certainly take your treat unadorned, Robinson’s menu caters to all cravings. Bitter, melted Valrhona morsels ooze irresistibly from the center of the sweet pain au chocolat croissant, and a punchy pairing of ham and Gruyere form a salty pinwheel within the savory ones
On weekdays, a selection of sandwiches—with ingredients like thin-sliced salmon, pickled red onions, and greens—are served on crisp croissants. Although her croissant production is already pushing the capacity of her petite basement prep space, Robinson has also managed to whip up a handful of other French-themed pastries, like plump muffaints (her take on the cruffin) filled with citrus curd or dulce de leche, tea cakes, brioche buns, and pain de mie. The Coco Cardies (cardamom buns featuring a chocolate smear) are a crowd favorite.
This summer Robinson will ramp up bread production. “I’m aiming to offer a few select loaves, including baguettes,” she says.
For as good as things are going (and, judging by the line that spills out the door and snakes down the block, it’s safe to say they’re going great), Robinson’s still licking the wounds of unrequited love. Not for the building (she’s clearly rebounded), but for those handsome German ovens. While some things simply aren’t meant to be, others—like Robinson’s fateful forays into pastry and entrepreneurship—most certainly are. If this were a movie, the buttery perfume wafting out of the bakery and down Maine Street on a tantalizing loop Thursday through Sunday would cue the credit roll. It will be happily ever after, after all.
