Secret ingredient: Love
Teri Harget and Scott Henry moved to Whidbey Island from San Francisco three years ago.
Scott is an avid sailor and he says, “My boat brought us to Whidbey.” They had no trouble finding a place to live and purchased five acres “with lots of trees” just outside of Oak Harbor. He adds: “The Pacific Northwest is great for sailing.”
After being a marriage and family therapist for 20 years, Teri decided to change careers. Amaya’s Bakery is named after a real ‘dolphin’--it’s Scott’s boat. Scott found his Yankee Dolphin 24 in California and brought it to the Northwest.
Teri had a legacy of baking with her mother and grandmother from Norway. She says, “All through my childhood, I baked with them.”
Teri and Scott made their move to Whidbey Island, and everything fell into place for the life they have now established here. Within an hour of looking, a realtor found a house for them and location for the bakery. They walked in the door to the house, and after a look around they agreed, “This is the place.”
Teri has a goal that her bakery will feel like what she experienced with her family as a young girl. She has fond memories of Grandma’s kitchen.
Amaya’s Bakery specializes in small batches that are made using much of the knowledge she gained from her grandmother. Amaya’s focuses on obtaining the best local ingredients:
- Uses local farm-to-table ingredients
- Gets apples from Belwood Farms in Linden
- Obtains flours from Fairhaven Mills in Burlington
- Specializes in gluten-free and diabetic friendly baked goods
- Uses plant-based sugar substitutes
- Has several specialty baked products as well as traditional ones
Teri adds, “I wanted my bakery to be connected to the community.” She provides cakes for the Whidbey Island Shakespeare festival, and she is part of the Bayview Farmers Market.
Terry wants to receive feedback from her customers. She has a “Suggestion Box” visibly located at the front of the store. She also is open to baking something special if a customer has a request.
Stop by and see what’s there, or ask make a special request: Amaya’s Bakery, 715 SE Fidalgo Avenue, #102, in downtown Oak Harbor. Or give them a call if there is something special you want to order: 360-682-5792. You can also checkout the website: https://www.amayasbakery.com/
