To learn more and purchase tickets, visit the Toast + Taste event page.

We are really excited to share this short video about Hot Bread Kitchen created by photographer and videographer William Geddes. Geddes goes behind the scenes of our professional baking training program to talk with our Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessamyn W. Rodriguez and Chief Bread Officer Ben Hershberger about why Hot Bread Kitchen is more than a bakery.

“Hot Bread Kitchen at La Marqueta in Spanish Harlem..is breaking down the old-world gender barrier, as women from Mexico, South America and Africa train to be bakers – jobs traditionally held by men.”

Hot Bread Kitchen’s bakery training is profiled in Newsday on May 8th, 2013.

Read the complete article as a pdf, Hot Bread Newsday May 2013

Read the complete article as it appeared on Open Forum April 2, 2013.

Are you a startup food entrepreneur? The next HBK Incubates deadline is May 31st, learn how to apply here.

To meet our ambitious growth goals, prepare us for replication, and ensure the high quality of our products, we have created the new position of Operations Director.  Reporting to the CEO, the Operations Director will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Hot Bread Kitchen.  He or She will be expected to smartly drive profitability by ensuring that operational expenses are controlled and implementing innovative ways of running the business, while also playing the major role in developing the full suite of policies, processes, systems, analytics, controls required to operate a rapidly growing food business.

To meet the demands of this position, we will require a Operations Director who has the full suite of qualifications on day one, along with solid experience in successfully managing in a high growth environment.   To read more about this position and the application process see the complete job description.

On March 8th, people around the world celebrate the advancement and achievements of women. At Hot Bread Kitchen, every day is international women’s day, but this year we decided to make a video to commemorate.

If you agree with my position and the work we do, please consider donatingto the JobRaising Challenge, an online fundraising competition that supports innovative employment solutions hosted by The Huffington Post, The Skoll Foundation and The McKinsey Group. Organizations who raise the most money through JobRaising before March 1st will receive additional donations of up to $150,000 from The Skoll Foundation. By making a contribution via the JobRaising Challenge you would not only be giving us a generous donation, but you would also help to increase our chances of winning significant funding. And if you really want to support us, please forward to your network!

Thank you,

Jessamyn W. Rodriguez

Founder and CEO

Hot Bread Kitchen

Photo of Taste of Ethiopia Founder Hiyaw Gebreyohannes courtesy of John Kernick

Born in Dijibouti, Hiyaw Gebreyohannes moved to Toronto as a child and learned to cook traditional Ethiopian food from his mother, a skilled chef and restaurateur. Wanting to bring the healthful and flavorful food of his childhood to a broader audience, Hiyaw decided to parlay his mother’s recipes into a line of vegetarian, packaged Ethiopian food. In July 2011, Hiyaw launched his business, Taste of Ethiopia and joined HBK Incubates, our culinary incubator program.

With the help of our commercial kitchen space and business coaching, Hiyaw formalized his business and began to scale his recipes. Participating in markets such as Brooklyn Flea and DeKalb Market, Taste of Ethiopia began to develop a loyal customer following. As evidence of the quality of his product, Taste of Ethiopia was one of four New York food manufacturers who won the City’s first ever competition to be showcased at the 2012 Fancy Food Show in Washington D.C. After only a year and a half working with HBK Incubates, Taste of Ethiopia can now be found in over fifteen stores in New York City, including Whole Foods and Union Markets and has been featured in media outlets such as The Daily News and Food & Wine Magazine.

Photo of Taste of Ethiopia product courtesy of Ken Goodman

This month, Hiyaw and Taste of Ethiopia will graduate from HBK Incubates to continue to grow his business. An ambitious and resourceful food entrepreneur, Hiyaw is considered a mentor to many other food businesses in HBK Incubates. We are proud of his growth and accomplishments to date and wish him all the best!

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, we are offering a special-edition of our Global Bread Box to send to your loaf-ed ones. This decadent box will include the following delicious multi-ethnic breads for the perfect Valentine’s Day meal:

• Appetizer: Nan-E-Qandi (4 pieces): slightly sweet and creamy Persian round topped with sesame seeds, goes great with a triple crème cheese like St. André or creamy ricotta.
• Main Course: Moroccan M’smen (4 pieces): flaky and buttery flatbread perfect for scooping up sauces or elegant open-faced sandwiches.
• Dessert: Chocolate Cherry Bread (3 rolls): This rich bread is filled with bittersweet chocolate and slightly tart cherries making it an excellent dessert after your romantic meal. Serve with ice cream or crème fraîche.
• Breakfast: My Mom’s Nutty Granola(10 ounces): For a healthy breakfast the morning after Valentine’s Day our granola is chock-full of toasted oats, raisins, nuts, and lightly sweetened with a touch of honey.

 To read more about our Global Bread Box visit our dedicated web page.

 Price: $70.00 USD

*Free Shipping within the continental U.S.