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The Life of the Hands...Bran & Ash is built on the belief that good bread brings people together. We focus on naturally leavened breads and pastries made with locally grown grains, milled in-house, and baked with care. Our bakery is a place where real food is made—by hand, with time, and with purpose.
Bran & Ash began as a small cottage food operation in Davis, CA, where we first started baking and delivering bread to the community. After moving to Hood River, we brought our loaves to the local farmers market, where we built relationships with customers and other food producers. From there, we began supplying bread to local cafes, breweries, and markets, growing the business one bake at a time. Years of early mornings, late-night bakes, and unwavering love for the craft led us to where we are today—our own little storefront, still rooted in the same philosophy: good bread, made by hand, for our community. |
OUR TEAM
CASEY HARDIHead Baker & Owner
Casey has always known he wanted to be a baker. At 16, he took his first pastry apprenticeship at Konditorei Bakery in Davis under his tough but formative mentor, Albert Kutternig. After three years there, he moved to Monterey to study business at Cal State Monterey Bay. Most mornings, he was up before the sun, balancing a full shift at Layers, a cake bakery, before rushing to classes.
After college, Casey moved to Seattle to work at Columbia City Bakery under Evan Andres, where he discovered his love for bread. He spent three years there before heading to Della Fattoria in Petaluma, where he learned the art of wood-fired bread baking in a historic barn-turned-bakery. After a year and a half at Della, he traveled through Europe, guest baking at The Dusty Knuckle, E5 Bakehouse, and The Little Bread Pedlar in London, then working at a small cottage bakery in Bordeaux. He spent several months at Château Brandeau, experiencing the rhythms of wine harvest, crush, and bottling before the pandemic brought him back to Davis. Back home, he developed a hearth bread program at a local bakery. It was there that he met Zoe, and together, they began the journey that would become Bran & Ash. For Casey, the magic of bread lies in its paradox—so simple, yet infinitely complex. It’s a craft that demands a lifetime of learning, something that keeps him engaged and always striving to improve. His approach to baking is heartfelt, meticulous, and intuitive. Hometown: Davis, CA Favorite Toast Topping: peanut butter & honey Favorite Hobby: Dungeons & Dragons but also sleeping |
ZOE MITCHELLBranding, Design & Creative Direction
Zoe has always loved making food. As a kid, she was fascinated by how a few simple ingredients could turn into something magical—whether it was her dad’s pasta dishes or the cupcakes she and her sister sold at their roadside stand. In high school, she published her own cookbook and ran a catering business, making desserts for weddings and events. She worked her way through restaurant kitchens, first as a prep cook, then on the line, thinking she’d become a chef. But her love for science pulled her in another direction. When she discovered UC Davis had a food science program, she knew she had found her path.
In college, fermentation became her obsession. She filled her apartment with homemade misos, pickles, soy sauces, and vinegars, constantly experimenting and learning. She met Casey during her senior year while working at a local bakery, and he introduced her to another kind of fermentation—bread. Their relationship grew over late nights baking experimental loaves in her tiny apartment kitchen. By her final year of school, she was balancing work in a fermentation based research lab while helping build Bran & Ash. After graduating with a degree in Food Science, with an emphasis in brewing, Zoe moved to Hood River for a job at Wyeast Laboratories. She later worked in a kitchen and garden role at Hiyu before shifting her focus to art and design, which had always been a major part of her life. Now, she channels her creativity into the visual and storytelling side of Bran & Ash—branding, website, merch, and everything in between. More than anything, she just wants to support Casey and see him succeed, because she truly believes in what he’s doing. Hometown: San Diego, CA Favorite Toast Topping: ricotta & jam Favorite Hobby: knitting |