Cinnamon Rolls and Christmas Shopping on Main Street
Angie and Aren Boehm are stocking Wheat Montana’s storefront with seasonal pastries and local culinary goods this fall
By Denali Sagner
Angie Boehm never anticipated owning a bakery. Especially, she admits with a laugh, because she can’t eat gluten. Now, however, sitting in the warm lobby of Wheat Montana with the clattering of kitchen tools and the aromas of coffee and cinnamon as a backdrop, Boehm looks like she’s been doing it her whole life.
Seven months ago, Boehm and her daughter Aren, who had been working behind the counter at Wheat Montana, purchased the bakery from its previous owners. Boehm is trained as a nurse and took a job at the bakery to learn some new skills, never thinking it would become her entire life. When the previous owners were ready to retire, however, and asked Boehm to take over, she said things just fell into place. A few months and hundreds of cinnamon rolls later, Boehm is now managing a team of bakers and baristas, connecting with local vendors, and this fall and winter, serving up a wide array of holiday-themed baked goods and gifts.
Wheat Montana in downtown Kalispell is one of four independently owned Wheat Montana bakeries, which source their grains from the company’s farm in Three Forks. The high-quality flour and grains allow Boehm and her bakers to produce some of the Flathead Valley’s freshest muffins, cookies and, the bakery’s most beloved item, cinnamon rolls.
The bakery offers six kinds of cinnamon rolls every day, which, this holiday season include a rotating “baker’s choice” line-up of caramel apple, cranberry orange and pumpkin cream cheese. In order to not let extra baked goods go to waste, Boehm and her staff are also offering bread pudding this fall, made with the leftover cinnamon rolls.
Beyond the sweet, Wheat Montana is a fully functional deli, serving soups, salads and sandwiches made on fresh bread. In homage to Thanksgiving, the Wheat Montana team is offering a special turkey cranberry melt, complete with provolone cheese, red onion and cranberry sauce and served on sourdough. There’s also a turkey pesto sandwich on the menu made with dairy-free pesto, a nod to Boehm’s dairy-free daughter.
One of her favorite parts of owning the bakery has been connecting with local businesses, many of which are now selling their products in Wheat Montana’s gift shop, Boehm said. The bakery’s shelves are stocked with jams and jellies from Huckleberry Haven, kombucha from Dark Side Fermenters, Farmhouse Candle Company candles and honey from Halle’s Honey, among other local and regional specialties. Boehm said she is excited to give people an opportunity to get some holiday shopping done while supporting businesses in and around the Flathead.
As snow continues to fall and Christmas lights decorate the valley, Angie and Aren, alongside their Wheat Montana team, will continue cooking up seasonal baked goods and serving breakfast and lunch from their Main Street storefront. Wheat Montana is open from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturdays.