About the Buns

These are no ordinary buns. Cinnamon buns have always been my favorite pastry, but too often I found them too dry, too dense, or cloyingly sweet. After much trial and error, I invented my own unique version of brioche dough: buttery yet light, comforting yet refined. And it dawned on me that I didn’t need to stop at the classics! I could make buns of all flavors: sweet, savory, and even chocolatey. 

My dough is now the perfect canvas for artistic and inventive combinations. We make it fresh daily in our bakery on the banks of Otter Creek River in Middlebury. I proudly source many ingredients locally and find daily inspiration in the flavors and farms of Vermont. 

Haymaker buns are my invitation to enjoy the in-between moments. Buns make any time special, whether you're enjoying one fresh at the cafe or using one of our frozen four packs for a weekend treat or an impromptu coffee date.

About Caroline, Chef-Owner

Haymaker was born three months after my son. Some say that starting your own business is like having a baby, so on the really hard days I like to remind myself that I had twins.

My love language has always been sugar.  I attended pastry school in Paris, became a classically trained French pastry chef and worked in bakeries for years until the day my son was born. Motherhood gave me the nudge to branch out on my own, and I wanted to make what I love to eat most: Buns. Lots of buttery, pillowy buns.


About Haymaker

Haymaker gets its name from the iconic spiral of the Vermont hay bale, a symbol of my home and a favorite family idiom: “Make hay while the sun shines.” (My other favorite: “Life is too short to sugar-coat bull****.”) A “haymaker” is a knockout punch, but it’s also an ode to a different kind of strength: the kind it takes to take care of others as well as yourself. At Haymaker we believe that each day should be filled with small indulgences -- and plenty of bun puns.

Haymaker Cafe was nominated as a semi-finalist by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Bakery” in 2023.