Barre’s Rise Up Bakery and Carolyn Shapiro, of East Montpelier, will receive a joint 2020 Award of excellence from the Vermont Historical Society on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 1:30 pm. The outdoor presentation will take place at the bakery, behind the Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite St. There will be a brief ceremony and light refreshments. Attendees should be masked and practice social-distancing.
The award will be presented to Rise Up bakers Jim and Larissa Haas along with Shapiro, who spear-headed the Barre Historical Society’s campaign to restore the building. The original Union Cooperative Store Bakery began in the basement of the Labor Hall. The current bakery, built in 1913, closed in 1939, and the building was subsequently used for storage by various granite companies. In 2004, the Barre Historical Society acquired the building and began its restoration in 2015. In July 2019, Jim Haas became the re-named wood-fired bakery’s first baker in 80 years.
Since re-opening, Rise Up Bakery has been selling freshly baked bread Wednesdays to Friday. Haas also offers workshops in baking breads including sourdough and Italian ciabatta.
