History
It all began back in the 1970s. Our founders, Pete and Laura Wakeman were just a couple of college kids who baked amazing scratch-made whole grain bread to help pay their tuition at Cornell University. Newly married in 1975, the adventurous couple hiked the entire north-south length of Montana. They never left, establishing the first Great Harvest Bakery in Great Falls, Montana in 1976. Word spread fast about their uniquely flavorful bread made with pure and simple ingredients and wheat purchased from local farmers. It didn't take long before neighbors asked about starting up their own Great Harvest. In 1978, the Freedom Franchise was born and the second Great Harvest bakery opened in Kalispell, Montana. Great Harvest began to grow from a Montana bakery into the nation's first family of independently-owned and operated whole grain bread bakeries. Though we're no longer just a Montana bread company, our corporate headquarters remain in Dillon, MT.
Specialties
Our claim to fame is our whole grain bread made from the the world's best bread-baking wheat. The high-protein, hard red spring wheat from the plains of north-central Montana is stone-ground fresh on a mill right in our bakery. Nothing is added or removed, giving each loaf a rich wheat flavor and whole grain nutrition not possible with commercial flour. Each loaf is baked fresh daily, using high-quality, real food ingredients. We are a low-tech, old-fashioned scratch bakery and cafe - we use only the freshest ingredients in all of our products, and keep our recipes as simple as possible. Our sandwiches are made to order, and just like our bread, we make all of the ingredients in house. Taste the difference.