Whether telling bakery stories at the dinner table or shaping baguettes together, Chuck Conway, Carla Kevorkian and their kids have spent decades pouring their hearts and souls into O Bread Bakery. The couple founded the bread company at Shelburne Farms in fall 1977 and were among the first in the area to embrace organic ingredients. Their three children, Adam, Gregory and Sophie, grew up playing at the bakery — and sometimes baking, too.
Once a grand family estate, Shelburne Farms gradually transformed into a world-renowned education nonprofit open to the public. During that time, O Bread became a celebrated bakery of artisan, European-style organic breads made by hand and baked in a hearth oven. O Bread occupies a small corner of the five-story Farm Barn, a turreted fairy-tale castle of a building. In the summer, the smell of baking bread attracts hordes of tourists as they explore the farm.
For almost five decades, Chuck and Carla worked long hours and rarely took vacations. Now in their seventies, the couple are considering their succession plan.
Their children all spent time working at the bakery over the years. But Sophie and Adam both developed allergies to flour dust and no longer work there. Gregory, meanwhile, has labored there full time since 2018 and is the co-head baker and general manager. The family hopes he’ll take over the business, though the details of the transition are a work in progress. In the meantime, Carla and Chuck continue to knead dough. You can usually find them working Saturdays at the bakery with Gregory.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the beloved bakery on Valentine’s Day. A steady stream of customers picked up heart-shaped baguettes and chocolate-cherry brioche. Sollberger spoke about filming the episode.
Why did you highlight O Bread?
My family and I have been eating O Bread and visiting the bakery for a few decades — I even wear their T-shirt! Like many locals, we never miss a trip to the bakery when we are walking at Shelburne Farms. It’s a treat to find out which cookies, pastries or loaves will be hot out of the oven when you stop by. Despite my love for O Bread, I had never met the family that runs it. So when food writer Melissa Pasanen suggested I cover them, I agreed quickly.
What is the bakery like?
It is a warm and cozy space that, of course, smells delicious. Watching the family work together, I felt like I was in their living room hanging out. They have an easy camaraderie that comes from a lifetime of baking side by side. As I peppered them with questions, the family artfully shaped baguettes; said hello to visitors; and scored and baked dozens of loaves of French country bread, sesame wheat and cinnamon-raisin swirl. There is a rhythm to the bakery, and they all work fluidly together.
Did you consume any bread in the making of this video?
Of course! I took home one of Chuck’s brioches, which I ordered ahead of time, and chose a hot loaf of cinnamon-raisin swirl, fresh out of the oven. There is something so nourishing about their bread. As Carla shared, “It is really great that we’ve fed this many people and been part of the community.” Now that I know the family whose hands knead the dough, I enjoy it even more.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Labor of Loaf | Meet the family behind O Bread Bakery at Shelburne Farms”
This article appears in March 25 • 2026.
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