Iconic Local Bakery Opens New Location In New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, CT — A celebrated family-run bakery recently opened its newest store in downtown New Canaan.

According to Owner Robert VanKeuren, Flour Water Salt Bread's third location officially opened to the public at 53 East Avenue on April 24.

"New Canaan has always held a special place for us, especially given the bakery's early roots in Silvermine," VanKeuren said to Patch. "The East Avenue location was a great fit, offering convenient parking and easy access to the heart of downtown."

FWSB currently operates two other locations in Darien and Greenwich, according to the bakery's website.

The small bakery chain specializes in "handmade, naturally leavened sourdough bread" and pastries, including croissants, cookies, cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, bombolonis and more.

After listening to his customers for years, VanKeuren felt a move into New Canaan made perfect sense for his bakery business, which first opened in 2017 on Grove Street in Darien.

"From talking with our customers over the years, we came to learn that they wanted to visit us more often," VanKeuren said, "for a pastry, sandwich or an afternoon cookie or coffee. Basically, except for holidays or special occasions, the bakery experience is local. People are busy and want to have a place that is convenient to their everyday life."

Fans of the Darien location should find many familiar touches at the New Canaan bakery with one added bonus: hot and cold espresso-based coffee beverages.

"We are sourcing creamline milk from Shaggy Coos Farm in Easton for our coffee program and are very excited about it," VanKeuren said.

For New Canaan customers who may be unfamiliar with FWSB, VanKeuren recommends trying a few of their best sellers, such as the cinnamon brioche coffee cake, sourdough brown butter chocolate chip cookies or the classic sourdough baguette made with just flour, water and salt.

"With the exception of the brioche, all of our breads are vegan," VanKeuren said, "including English muffins and bagels."

According to VanKeuren, FWSB resonates with customers in the area because it is a local, family-run American boulangerie that is committed to quality.

"Everything is made from scratch using the best ingredients we can source," VanKeuren said. "During COVID, many discovered the benefits and challenges of baking sourdough, further deepening appreciation for what we do. Offering sourdough bread, bagels, english muffins, croissants and more that taste great keep people coming back."

The New Canaan bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Thank you to the New Canaan community for such a warm welcome over the past few weeks," VanKeuren said.