Dancing Spoon

The Artisan

Artisan The Craft of the

An Artisan Baker Talks of his Craft

As the mass-marketing of the word “artisan” begins to pick up speed – see Friendly’s new menu, if you’re not convinced of that – scratch bakers once again have the chance to mull over what it means to call a particular bread or bakery just that. There are those who don’t really care how their product is classified; there are others who classify themselves “artisan” under only the loosest of definitions. And there are bakers like my wife and me, who put the word “artisan” right in the name of their bakery.

Andy King

Contributors Our

Andy King is the co-owner, with his wife Jackie, of A&J King Artisan Bakers in Salem,  MA. He is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, ME, and the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier,  VT. While working in establishments such as Arrows Restaurant (Ogunquit, ME) and the Standard Baking Co. (Portland, ME), Andy was the food writer for the Portland Phoenix, and contributed to Downeast Magazine, The Food Network, and Bon Appetit magazine. A&J King Artisan Bakers opened in June of 2006. The couple currently resides in Topsfield, MA with their daughter, Emaline, and their dog, Griffon.