Kate Builds Her Bakery

Well, we knew this day was coming for months and months and months. Still, to be honest, the bubble thought in all our heads was “No!  Say it ain’t so!”, as we smiled and wished her well. 

And now the day has come.

Kate McLean, AERO Office Manager and Member Services Coordinator par excellence, has moved on.  She and husband Ian are transforming their extraordinarily successful (and organic, naturally leavened, healthy and delicious!) pop-up Sunflower Bakery into a brick and mortar shop. Oh, my! If you’ve tasted their breads you know that AERO’s loss is Helena’s gain. And if you haven’t tasted their bread yet, you are in for a treat. Worth a trip to Helena, no joke.

Here’s a cool fact that gives us some comfort: Kate leaned into the idea of a pop-up bakery after attending an AERO Cottage Food Law workshop, and learned the in’s and out’s of selling home-baked goods at Farmers Markets. 

That connection also led her to the AERO family and we have been better for it. For those who have watched the bakery’s success in person or on social media, you know the business is thoughtfully stewarded, and a lot of that is Kate. She brought that same thoughtfulness, logical thinking, customer-focus and marketing creativity to the work she did at AERO. Yup, we are sorry to see her go.

Thank you, Kate, for all the ways you have supported AERO through the years. We wish you, Ian and Rae all the best success in your new adventure!