We had the good fortune of connecting with Adrienne Steinbach and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrienne, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I grew up cooking, baking and watching my mom in the kitchen make everything from scratch, From a young age I have always enjoyed creating and baking in the kitchen. Just the past two to three years I started to make sourdough breads and began sharing them with friends, family and coworkers. It was a hit and I wanted to continue to do this on a larger scale. I took the plunge this year and started my own business, Stonybrook Kitchen. I purchased a Simply bread oven to be able increase my output. I’m excited to see where this new adventure takes me, challenging me, moving me forward.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I grew up learning to bake while cooking with and watching my mother, an amazing self taught home cook. If we had boxed cereal for breakfast my mother was not feeling well that morning. The smells of homemade bread, yeasted cinnamon rolls, or hot cross buns on Easter morning still make me think of home. Even at the time I felt lucky to be blessed with quality food.

It is now second nature for me to create from scratch healthy, yummy fresh food.

Three years ago I began my journey to a home based business with sourdough bread, experimenting with different recipes and techniques using the freshest and highest quality ingredients.

With encouraging words from my faithful friends and family as my tasters, I eventually fulfilled my dream and started my own business.

Now, after purchasing a Simply Bread oven, I am able to provide products in a higher volume in my own kitchen as a cottage food operation.

Stonybrook Kitchen is a women-owned business where I make quality fresh sourdough breads and other sourdough goods for the local community. In a world of abundant but low quality, unhealthy food options, I believe people nowadays appreciate homemade goodness. That is what I deliver to my customers with my made to order sourdough breads, sourdough English Muffins and fruit empanadas.

My passion is to create fresh artisan breads with superior flavor, texture and crumb that stands out in the maze of mass produced breads.

For the past 23 years I have worked in the health care field as a physical therapist, driven to provide what I can to my patients so they can live healthy, active lives. It can be challenging to balance starting and running a new business with work, as well as spending time with family, friends and my dogs. However passion, drive and dedication push me forward in this new adventure.

From watching the bread rise in my oven to reading texts of joy from customers enjoying my goodies makes each bake a exciting as the first. I enjoy every aspect of this process.

Stonybrook Kitchen is growing and I am excited to be on this new adventure and invite everyone to come enjoy it with me!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my bestie came to visit me here in Ojai I would take her downtown Ojai for some window shopping and grab a yummy sushi dinner. During the day we would plan an hike in the local Ojai mountains or a bike ride along the bike path. Rounding out a visit would be a day trip to Santa Barbara for some yummy fish tacos at East Beach Tacos and stroll along State Street and the beach. A must would be a Saturday lunch and spa day at the Ojai Valley Inn.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate my shoutout to my mother Christine!! For all the cooking lessons and times we have spent in the kitchen baking!! She is my best support, best critic and right hand woman! She knows my dreams and is right along side me! Stonybrook Kitchen would not be the same without her by my side.

Website: Stonybrookkitchen.com

Instagram: Stonybrook_Kitchen

Image Credits
Photographer: Ashley Steinbach, assistant: Christine Steinbach

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.