MONROE - To the New Glarus Bakery, being in business 100 years means celebrating with 100 birthday cakes, with one candle each, to serve about 2,500 people.
That's a generous portion for every person in the Village of New Glarus, with plenty of extra for visitors coming for the village's annual Polkafest, which starts immediately afterward.
Angela Anderson, only the sixth owner of the bakery, bought the business in 2004. She had been thinking about how to mark the occasion since January of last year.
"Not anything over the top," she said Tuesday, "but just something to gain attention."
Anderson and her staff will light the 100 large candles at s6:30 p.m., Friday, under the Polkafest tent, on First Street in downtown New Glarus.
Of course, there will be singing of the traditional birthday song - and then trying to blow out 100 candles.
"The fire department will be there; they said it was OK," she said, with a laugh.
The New Glarus Bakery has been baking Swiss and American goods since 1910.
Anderson worked three years at the bakery when she was in high school, and always had a desire to operate a bakery of her own just like it. When the New Glarus Bakery closed, she knew it was her opportunity.
But Anderson was disappointed to find the book of traditional recipes missing when she took over; she had wanted to keep the baked goods that folks in the region had come to know and love.
"The day we started baking, one week before we were to open, just before the flour hit the bowl, friends found the recipes," she said.
According to Anderson, her friends had an old Macintosh computer that they powered up to look through some old disks she found on the second floor of the bakery. She thought they were old accounting files.
Anderson said she and her staff have tested and revised some of the recipes.
"We wanted things to taste as people remembered them," she said.
The revisions probably returned the original ingredients to the recipes. Corn syrup has been removed and natural sugar added, and "100 percent real butter" has replaced hydrogenated shortening. Unbleached flours are used also.
The original Swiss sourdough bread comes also in herb flavor now. And during June, which is Dairy Month, the same bread is formed in the shape of a cow udder, and cow-shaped cookies are glazed and decorated with bright red lips, delicious enough to kiss.
Apparently, the changes might be working. Sales were up 12 percent last year, because people look for comfort food during tough economic times, Anderson said.
Blazing a new trail to its old traditions, the bakery designed T-shirts with its new mottos: "We Dough'nt Mess with Tradition," and "100 years old and still got the best buns in town."
If you want to get an early start to this weekend, Dave Mosher & Associates are celebrating their 100th Anniversary from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, also under the Polkafest tent. The party is on them, with beer from New Glarus Brewery; fondue by Master Cheesemaker Bruce Workman and Chef Mike Nevel of Chalet Landhaus; and music by the polka band, Another Memorable Occasion.
That's a generous portion for every person in the Village of New Glarus, with plenty of extra for visitors coming for the village's annual Polkafest, which starts immediately afterward.
Angela Anderson, only the sixth owner of the bakery, bought the business in 2004. She had been thinking about how to mark the occasion since January of last year.
"Not anything over the top," she said Tuesday, "but just something to gain attention."
Anderson and her staff will light the 100 large candles at s6:30 p.m., Friday, under the Polkafest tent, on First Street in downtown New Glarus.
Of course, there will be singing of the traditional birthday song - and then trying to blow out 100 candles.
"The fire department will be there; they said it was OK," she said, with a laugh.
The New Glarus Bakery has been baking Swiss and American goods since 1910.
Anderson worked three years at the bakery when she was in high school, and always had a desire to operate a bakery of her own just like it. When the New Glarus Bakery closed, she knew it was her opportunity.
But Anderson was disappointed to find the book of traditional recipes missing when she took over; she had wanted to keep the baked goods that folks in the region had come to know and love.
"The day we started baking, one week before we were to open, just before the flour hit the bowl, friends found the recipes," she said.
According to Anderson, her friends had an old Macintosh computer that they powered up to look through some old disks she found on the second floor of the bakery. She thought they were old accounting files.
Anderson said she and her staff have tested and revised some of the recipes.
"We wanted things to taste as people remembered them," she said.
The revisions probably returned the original ingredients to the recipes. Corn syrup has been removed and natural sugar added, and "100 percent real butter" has replaced hydrogenated shortening. Unbleached flours are used also.
The original Swiss sourdough bread comes also in herb flavor now. And during June, which is Dairy Month, the same bread is formed in the shape of a cow udder, and cow-shaped cookies are glazed and decorated with bright red lips, delicious enough to kiss.
Apparently, the changes might be working. Sales were up 12 percent last year, because people look for comfort food during tough economic times, Anderson said.
Blazing a new trail to its old traditions, the bakery designed T-shirts with its new mottos: "We Dough'nt Mess with Tradition," and "100 years old and still got the best buns in town."
If you want to get an early start to this weekend, Dave Mosher & Associates are celebrating their 100th Anniversary from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, also under the Polkafest tent. The party is on them, with beer from New Glarus Brewery; fondue by Master Cheesemaker Bruce Workman and Chef Mike Nevel of Chalet Landhaus; and music by the polka band, Another Memorable Occasion.