Kneads Bakery Café Opening in Westport Sept 5th: Artisan Bread, Breakfast & Lunch

Maddie Phelps
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In his grandmother’s tapas restaurant in Dallas, a young Daniel Moreno grew up hidden away in the kitchen, learning, listening while cultivating a dream of becoming a chef. Over a thousand miles away in Connecticut, a young Brittany spent her days baking for her family, guided by the dream of running her very own bakery one day. Now married, Daniel and Brittany Moreno’s dreams have turned into a reality as they open Kneads in Westport. 

With coffee, sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries and, of course, bread, Kneads offers a fresh, diverse “chalkboard” menu that features 100% whole grain organic flour. And, with a heavy focus on local products within a simple, cafe format, this husband and wife duo hope to bring a newfound appreciation of milling to town. 

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Though they may be new to Westport, this certainly isn’t the young couple’s first rodeo in the restaurant industry. The two met at the Culinary Institute of Arts (CIA), where they both earned their Bachelor’s Degrees. After pursuing externships and positions at prestigious restaurants in New York and California, the Morenos headed overseas for new opportunities. Just days after their marriage, they moved to Paris, where Daniel landed a spot at a two Michelin star restaurant and Brittany at a renowned pastry shop. Upon returning to the states, Daniel became the sous chef and Brittany the pastry sous chef at the esteemed Blue Hill at Stone Barns. It was here, the couple said, that they gained an appreciation for restaurants sourcing their ingredients, specifically flour, locally. 

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“You’re really grasping the farm to table there,” Brittany said. “You’re harvesting the products and bringing them right into the restaurant. And, you’re getting to see people’s reactions to the freshest products you can bring to them. That’s really incredible.”

The Morenos have already established farm to table connections throughout Westport and beyond. Kneads features bacon and ham from Fleischer’s right across the street in their Country Ham Sandwich and their Fleischer's Cottage Bacon and Egg breakfast sandwich. They’ve also partnered with chef Bill Taibe, Westport Farmers Market, and Wakeman Town Farm.

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Sourcing locally, the Morenos emphasized, allows for Kneads to offer the freshest products on the market to their customers. The couple has chosen the excellent Irving Farm for their coffee needs, who roast their beans on the day of ordering and deliver them the very next. 

“We’ve set up a lot of accounts with these small places to source the best products possible,” Daniel said. “You can either one stop shop it, or you can diversify it and get the best possible product that everyone has to offer.”

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And, the “mill” in their logo comes with a story of its own. Inspired by the contract farming utilized at Blue Hill, Kneads will follow in similar footsteps with plot farming. By connecting with different farms to sell them land, the Morenos can plant a specific variety of grains that they want to work with and showcase in the bakery. With this, they want to bring back a sense of importance to local millers, something Daniel says is now overlooked in our modern day world. 

Opening Kneads is more than just the chance to follow a lifelong dream for the Morenos. Inspired by the hospitality they’ve witnessed at restaurants earlier in their careers, the couple hopes to establish a connection with the Westport community at large and demonstrate the importance of working with flour. 

“We’re just trying to be a community gathering point and really educate the public and show them that this is what flour can be,” Daniel said.

Whether you want a fresh cup of coffee to-go or a casual place to savor delicious breakfast and lunch options, Kneads is your new spot. Plus, having somewhere to support local eating that embraces simplicity and tradition is something we all really knead these days.

“This has been something we’ve always talked about,” Daniel said. “We’ve had a database ever since we were in college when we started dating. Now, just being able to see it coming together is great.”

Check out Kneads’ new website and on socials! 

Website: http://kneadsbakerycafe.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kneads.westport/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kneads-102532861474052

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kneadswestport