Walk past Oak & Ember before sunrise and you'll catch Marcus and Jo Bennett already three hours into their day. Everything on the shelves, from sourdough to sweet potato hand pies, is made from scratch in the small kitchen behind the counter.
Built on family recipes
Jo learned to bake in her grandmother's kitchen in Rocky Mount, and several of those recipes made it onto the menu unchanged. Marcus handles the bread program, which started as a pandemic hobby and grew into a wood-fired oven and a waitlist for Saturday loaves.
Giving back
Nothing goes to waste. Every Sunday afternoon, what's left from the week goes to a downtown shelter, and the bakery hosts a free bread-baking class for teens once a month.
Stop by
Oak & Ember is open Wednesday through Sunday. Tell them Juiced sent you, and try the cardamom morning bun.
