At the West Reading Farmers Market, where familiar faces gather and weekend routines take shape, you’ll find Olde Crow Bake Shoppe, a small-batch bakery owned by Jessica Flynn. Her table is surrounded by the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies and the hum of conversation of people sharing stories, choosing favorites and savoring something made with care. For Flynn, this is exactly where her baking belongs: in community.
Olde Crow Bake Shoppe grew out of a lifelong love of baking and food traditions. What began as baking for family and friends slowly evolved into sharing those recipes more widely, with a focus on handcrafted cookies made in small batches using quality ingredients. Baking, for Flynn, has always been about connection, honoring time-tested techniques, celebrating seasonal flavors and creating treats that feel both nostalgic and special.
“I’ve always loved the sense of community at farmers markets, the connection between the people who make the food and the people who enjoy it,” Flynn said.
Becoming a vendor felt like a natural extension of her love for baking and for sharing traditional recipes, while supporting local agriculture and being part of something truly community-centered.
That sense of belonging is especially strong at the West Reading farmers market. Flynn speaks warmly of the familiar faces, the weekly conversations and watching the market become part of people’s routines.
“West Reading Farmers Market has such a supportive, welcoming atmosphere,” she said. “It truly feels like a place where local food and small businesses are celebrated.”
At Olde Crow Bake Shoppe, the offerings are rooted in traditional and European-inspired recipes. Flynn specializes in handcrafted, small-batch cookies and baked goods, each made by hand using time-honored methods. What makes her work stand out is the combination of patience, technique and thoughtful ingredient choices. Many recipes are mixed, shaped and finished entirely by hand, no shortcuts, just as they would have been years ago.
Customer favorites are easy to spot. Thumbprint cookies, filled with seasonal fruit flavors, consistently top the list. Flynn has a particular soft spot for them herself, appreciating how classic and versatile they are, changing with the seasons while remaining comfortingly familiar.
Still, when asked about her personal favorite, she said: “It’s whichever cookie I’m currently developing. It keeps the work creative and exciting while still honoring tradition.”
Market days begin long before the first customer arrives. Packing, labeling and loading up happens beforehand, with careful planning behind the scenes to ensure everything is fresh, organized and ready when the market opens. While the work is demanding, the reward comes in the connections made across the table.
“I love hearing people’s food memories — what a cookie reminds them of, or how it becomes part of their weekend tradition,” Flynn said.
Some of her favorite moments are seeing customers return week after week with their families, especially children who grow up visiting the booth and happily picking their favorite cookie. Those long-term connections are what make market life so meaningful.
Looking ahead, Flynn is always experimenting seasonally. Upcoming ideas include new European-inspired cookies, rotating thumbprint flavors using local fruit and a few small-batch cakes and breads tied to holidays and the rhythm of the market season. Her vision is to grow thoughtfully while staying hands-on and small-batch, keeping Olde Crow Bake Shoppe rooted in farmers markets, local ingredients, and traditional techniques.
On market days, Flynn also loves shopping alongside her customers, picking up fresh produce and seasonal baked goods from fellow vendors. Supporting other makers and drawing inspiration from the market community is one of her favorite parts of the day.
You can find Olde Crow Bake Shoppe at the West Reading Farmers Market, in the West Reading Shopping Center parking lot, on Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon. Stop by, say hello and discover a cookie that just might become part of your own weekend tradition.
Kendra Giangiulio is the manager of the West Reading Farmers Market.