A sure sign of spring in the Keweenaw Peninsula arrived Friday when the Jampot Bakery opened its doors for another season.
The bakery, operated entirely by monks of the Holy Protection Monastery, welcomed travelers, soon-to-be graduates and community members to its shop filled with homemade baked goods and preserves crafted from local blueberries, thimbleberries and other regional fruits.
“Opening day, it’s not too bad. July and August you can sell out of a lot of things in the day,” said Father Ambrose of the Jampot Bakery. “Some of the preserves, people bring them in wild berries, then we source a few things from maybe a 600-mile radius from the pot.”
Logan Bandt of Madison, Wisconsin, visited the bakery on the recommendation of his grandmother, who frequents the Keweenaw Peninsula. He stopped by while on the end of a three-week road trip around the Upper Peninsula.
“Our grandma loves the Keweenaw Peninsula. She’s been up here all the time and she recommended stopping in that Jam Pot back there to get some nice jams,” Bandt said. “She loves all the stuff that this peninsula produces. It’s a pretty special place.”
The Jampot Bakery joins several small businesses opening ahead of the region’s main tourism season. Until Memorial Day weekend, the bakery will operate Fridays and Saturdays before transitioning to full summer hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
More information about Keweenaw Peninsula attractions is available at Visit Keweenaw’s website.
