From Courtroom to Kitchen: Medford Welcomes a Bakery Built on a Lifelong Passion
Last weekend, Medford, New Jersey locals celebrated the opening of a new bakery with a deeper narrative than fresh bread and delectable pastries. The modest business that debuted on Feb. 21 was the fruition of a decades-long desire.
Longtime attorney Elissa Westbrook-Smith opened Medford Village Bakery on Main Street. Many locals may find it a delightful addition to the restaurant scene. Westbrook-Smith returns to baking, her first love.
Westbrook-Smith operated a Eugene bakery and coffee business about 30 years ago before starting a successful law career. She created recipes, techniques, and concepts that persisted with her after she went to law school. Though she went into law, she never stopped baking.
Her statement on the bakery’s website said she baked wedding cakes, birthday pastries, and Christmas cookies throughout her law career. Her dream of operating a bakery had been “in the oven” for years. This winter in Medford, that long-term ambition came true.
The road to opening day was long. Westbrook-Smith and Justin did three years of house hunting. A historic home built around 1880 at 43 South Main Street in Medford Village’s center near to Braddock’s Tavern was what they needed. The couple spent two more years refurbishing the three-story house.
The bakery is on the first level and an apartment above. Its green and pink facade has intrigued onlookers since last summer, generating anticipation for its arrival.
The bakery serves conventional breakfast and desserts. Scones, sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, and biscotti are available. Two to three bread kinds are provided daily. The bakery wants to sell cakes for breakfast, brunch, dinner, and weddings in addition to everyday baked products.
Opening means more than new store space. It illustrates a trend in New Jersey small towns: professionals rekindling interests and investing in community. Westbrook-Smith blended preservation, entrepreneurship, and personal joy by picking a historic Medford Village property.
The bakery is open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Residents can call the business for further information.
In Medford, this bakery adds another locally owned shop to Main Street. Westbrook-Smith says it closes one chapter and begins another shaped by flour, sugar, and recipes developed over a lifetime.
The first weekend’s shoppers bought more than baked goodies. This was a story of perseverance, patience, and a goal fulfilled in a New Jersey community.
Sources
Medford Village Bakery official website
Owner statement released by Elissa Westbrook-Smith
