We just got back from Amish Indiana, and as usual, we
discovered something new. This time it
was Country Lane Bakery. We had stopped
there once before with our Amish friends so they could pick up an order... But this time we stopped by to take a look, and
now we’ve got a new local favorite.
Country Lane has a very small retail area, but there’s a lot
to see and buy nonetheless. We chatted
with the Amishman behind the counter, and asked to purchase some oatmeal
whoopee pies. When my husband asked
about the cinnamon rolls, he threw in one of those as well—after he had frosted
it, right on the spot. (Talk about
fresh!) While he was away from the
counter, I took this photo:
As the menu shows, there are a great variety of things to
try—breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, and more.
My favorites are the chocolate walnut brownies and the whoopee pies; my
husband likes the cinnamon rolls, the honey oatmeal bread, and the butter pecan
pie. Another favorite is the molasses
cookies.
Country Lane Bakery is a mile and a half south of Route 20
between Shipshewana and Middlebury, at 59162 County Road 43, in this unassuming
building with a phone shanty out front.
It is Amish-run and the food is made on-site. The location is a mile or two out of the way,
but we’re always looking for an excuse to drive out into the countryside anyway! The food is fresh, and good, and reasonably
priced. As is typical in Amish Indiana,
they are closed on Sundays.
We shop regularly at the big bakeries in Shipshewana and
Middlebury and will continue to do so.
But it’s nice to patronize the smaller local establishments whenever we
can, especially the Amish-owned ones. Why
should a few “English” families make all the money, when it’s the Amish culture
that brings the tourists here in the first place?
NOTE: It is October 2022 as I write this additional note, and Country Lane Bakery is for sale.
The owners, I've heard, intend to go into the barbeque business instead! So, I'm not sure about the future of Country Lane Bakery. Hopefully someone will buy it out and keep it open at a new location.