NORWICH – When The Cottage Bakery was first created in August 2016 by mother-daughter business partners, Jeanne Harris and Kate Tefft, the two were just feeling the waters to see if the public would be interested in a new bakery in the area.

But it wouldn't be long before The Cottage Bakery found itself right at home in Saturdays in the Park: A new fall harvest market in Norwich's West Park offering a one-stop-shop for locals to pick up locally produced, fall-themed goodies and socialize among one another.

“We consider ourselves very fortunate to be included in the Saturdays in the Park event,” said Harris. “We were just starting out as a bakery and we were trying to find out if there was interest in having a bakery in the area, so when they asked us to participate we were really delighted to be a part of it.”

Harris said it proved to be a wonderful experience––both for the newly created bakery, which established a regular customer base at the market, and for the new market that was slowly becoming a staple on Saturday mornings in Norwich.

“I can't say enough about The Cottage Bakery, having them at our Saturdays in the Park has been an absolute complement to our city streets,” said Saturdays in the Park event coordinator Mindy Chawgo. “The idea that a dream to work together as mother and daughter while showcasing their baking talents––it has made all of our stomachs and lives fuller.”

Beginning on September 16, The Cottage Bakery will return once again to the Saturdays in the Park with Chobani to give market-goers its core treats on a weekly basis, including cookies, cupcakes, scones, “and of course our cinnamon rolls, because I think [our customers] would come after us like a mob if we didn't,” joked Tefft. They also plan to rotate in other special goodies.