PORTLAND, Ore. (Portland Tribune) — A longtime Portland bakery that closed in 2019 and subsequently changed ownership has made Wilsonville its new home.
Pearl Bakery, located at 10159 SW Commerce Circle on the west side of town, offers breads, pastries and other goodies for locals, grocery stores and restaurants alike. There isn’t a storefront just yet but owner Bianca McAravey is hoping to add that component at some point in the future. For now, customers can order online. The previous owner ran the shop out of the Pearl neighborhood in Portland for 23 years.
“Pearl Bakery has a long tradition of making artisan and very good bread for many years. I think if you care about eating high quality food, you can choose us,” McAravey said.
McAravey and her husband Samuel purchased the bakery following the closure of the storefront in Portland. The Brazilian and South African couple had always wanted to open such an establishment, McAravey said. As fans of the former bakery, they leapt at the opportunity to fulfill that goal following conversations with the previous owner.
“We liked to eat bread and buy their products down there. We mentioned to them we wanted to open a bakery. They said, ‘Why don’t you take over operations?'” she said.
The McAraveys wanted to remain close to the Portland market but to move outside of the city due to cost and safety concerns. And as Sherwood residents, Wilsonville was close by. Their site is 7,500 square feet.
When they officially bought the company, the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t started yet. Once it did and the store opened, their plans were significantly curtailed. They are hoping to gain more of a following and save money before they open the storefront.
“We were set back for a while. We couldn’t sell bread, get clients. It was really hard right off the bat. We managed to stay barely afloat to wait for better days like now,” McAravey said.
The owners hired some of the same employees who worked at the former bakery and use all of the same recipes. Some of McAravey’s favorite offerings include focaccia and honey breads as well as croissants. Other items include muffins, cakes, cookies and scones. The bakery’s famed gibassier pastry is not on the menu currently, as the bakers perfect that product.
“I feel that if you want to support your fellow neighbors and small business owners in your hometown, (you should) consume or buy products from them. We also sell good high quality and flavorful things. It’s something you can treat yourself to,” McAravey said.
While they want to continue to sell delicious treats, she said they also try to keep production costs low so that they can sell them at affordable prices.
Some restaurants they sell products to include Olympia Provisions, Basilisk and Milo’s City Cafe. They also sell to many grocery stores, including New Seasons, along with some of the same customers as the bakery had previously.
“They (customers) really want the best and that’s why they came to us, because we use the best ingredients in our products,” McAravey said.
For more information on the bakery and to order from it, visit pearlbakery.com.
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