WASHINGTON TWP., Pa.– Foodies in search of made-from-scratch breads, bagels, doughnuts, kiffles, scones, soft pretzels, pies, muffins and other mouthwatering treats will soon have two new spots to frequent in Lehigh County.
Sunny Moon Sconery – a small-batch sourdough baker specializing in artisan sweet and savory scones – and Vallos Bakery – an iconic, family-run bakery known for its fresh breads, cakes, doughnuts and pastries – are planning to open new locations in the coming weeks at the Slatington Farmers Market in Washington Township.
Sunny Moon Sconery
Sunny Moon, owned and operated by baker Celia Strouse, is planning to open its first brick-and-mortar location at the market on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Sweet scone offerings available opening weekend, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, will include peach crumb, blueberry lemon, cookies and cream, orange cranberry pistachio, vanilla chocolate chip and maple pecan.
Savory scone offerings available opening weekend will include pizza (sun-dried tomato mozzarella basil) and cheddar jalapeno cilantro.
Sunny Moon is a dream fulfilled for Strouse, a Bethlehem resident who has worked as a graphic designer for more than 25 years but has had a passion for baking since childhood.
Strouse, 47, has fond memories of baking with her mother – who she labels “an amazing baker and cook” – while growing up in Portugal.
After moving to the United States at the age of 13, she fine-tuned her skills as a teenager and continued baking into adulthood. Her treats have become big hits at friends and family gatherings.
“Baking has been a lifelong passion of mine, and so many people have pushed me to open a bakery,” Strouse said.
“I didn’t think it would be a bakery that focuses on scones, but I really got into scones about a year ago. It came about because I’ve been baking with sourdough for a while, and I tried my first sourdough scones and just fell in love with them – their texture, taste, everything about them.”
At Sunny Moon Sconery, customers will be able to choose from a rotating selection of 8-10 scones, including sweet selections such as almond apricot, peach lemon, cinnamon roll, cookies and cream, strawberry and white chocolate, chocolate mocha and chocolate-dipped vanilla chocolate chip.
Strouse labels the lemon blueberry scone as the most popular variety among her friends and family.
There also will be rotating savory varieties such as cheddar jalapeno cilantro, spinach and feta, ginger garlic and cream cheese (made with Jenny’s Kuali ginger garlic sauce) and pizza (made with basil, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes and shredded mozzarella, topped with pizza sauce, more mozzarella and basil).
Sunny Moon will feature several vegan and gluten-free options.
“My personal favorite is orange cranberry pistachio, topped with orange glaze,” Strouse said. “For the fall, I plan on having other unique flavors like caramel apple and pear chai.”
In addition to selling specialty sourdough scones, Sunny Moon Sconery will offer a variety of other freshly-baked items including sourdough focaccia, sourdough soft pretzels and sourdough bagels as specials, Strouse said.
Vegan and gluten-free banana bread, pumpkin bread and blackbean brownies will also be available, along with hot organic teas to pair with the treats.
Online ordering will be available on the business’ website, and Strouse also intends to establish a Bethlehem area pick-up spot as a more convenient option for certain individuals.
As a Bethlehem resident, Strouse also hopes to connect Sunny Moon with her home community through pop-up shops, wholesale accounts and possibly farmers markets, if time allows.
“We’re redefining scones as you know it!” she announced on the business’ Instagram page. “Looking forward to bringing you our delightful artisan scones with a blend of fresh ingredients baked into tangy sourdough, which gives them an extra tender crumb.”
Sunny Moon will fill the space that was vacated by Wild & Free Bakery, a bakery offering made-on-site cookies, cupcakes, croissants and other baked goods.
Wild & Free ceased operations at the Slatington Farmers Market in mid-August as its owners look to spend more time with family and shift the bakery’s business model.
Details regarding Wild & Free’s new format have not yet been finalized, but founder and baker Connie Hoffman said tentative plans include joining forces with another local business, where some of the bakery’s breads, croissants and other popular products would be available for purchase.
Wild & Free fans can follow the business’FacebookandInstagrampages for the latest updates.
“This decision hasn’t been an easy one for us,” Hoffman and her husband, Matthew Hoffman, announced on the business’ social media pages.
“We’ve had a greatly successful two year in business and have loved having our own space and being able to provide you with the best baked goods around! Our priorities, however, have changed. The demand of a retail storefront can be challenging with little kids. Our boys are still young and we know the years go quick. We’re taking this time to simply step back, slow down and enjoy life a little more.”
Strouse noted that she’s honored to take over the beautiful space that the Hoffmans “poured their hearts into,” and the Hoffmans extended a warm welcome to Strouse’s budding business.
“We can’t wait to see the awesome stuff available and we think they’ll be a great addition to the market!” the Hoffmans announced on Wild & Free Bakery’s social media pages.
Vallos Bakery
Vallos Bakery, a nearly century-old business at 1800 Broadway in Salisbury Township, is planning to open a third Lehigh Valley location in late September at the Slatington Farmers Market, co-owner Tina Hanuschak said.
The stand will supplement the bakery’s primary location in Salisbury along with a second location that opened last year at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market.
At the Slatington Farmers Market, a two-year-old venue featuring more than 40 food, beverage and retail vendors, Hanuschak and her husband, Scott Hanuschak, saw an opportunity to grow their family business further and bring their baked-from-scratch treats closer to more people in the Lehigh Valley.
“We’re very excited!” Tina said. “The community’s excited as well. We’ve heard from some customers who are really happy that we’ll only be a short drive from them now instead of a 30-minute drive to Salisbury.”
Tina Hanuschak is a third-generation operator of Vallos, which originated in 1926 on Third Street in south Bethlehem.
Her grandfather, Stephanos Skoutelas, worked at the bakery after moving to the United States from Greece.
When the bakery was put up for sale, Skoutelas and his wife, Kathleen, purchased it from Vallos Baking Company and later moved the business about two miles southwest to Broadway in Salisbury Township.
When Stephanos passed away, the bakery was then handed down to his three sons - Nicholas, George and Gus.
"When they retired in 2005, my husband and I bought it from them," said Tina, Nicholas' daughter. "Now, our sons are going to be running this stand, and hopefully the bakery one day when my husband and I retire."
Over the years, the Hanuschaks updated baking equipment, invested in new delivery trucks, hired additional bakers and launched a new line of freshly baked pastries and cakes.
During the pandemic, they also temporarily closed the bakery for several months for renovations.
Last year, a longstanding roadside sign was removed when the sidewalk and parking lot were redone, but new signage on the facade was installed.
Vallos, which has a tagline of "baking a difference in the Lehigh Valley," is known for its fresh rolls including hot dog, hamburger, Kaiser and steak.
The business also makes a variety of breads, including French, Italian, Vienna and Greek, along with its dozens of doughnut varieties, including apple fritters, Bavarian custard, chocolate crullers and lemon crumb.
Other sweet treats include a variety of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pies, turnovers, streudels, eclairs and cannolis.
"Everything is made from scratch," Tina said. "Our cakes are homemade. Our doughnuts are homemade. Our pastries are homemade. Our icings are homemade. That's why people like everything."
Vallos is a true family affair, with the Hanuschaks’ sons, Trevor and Parker, assisting with operations.
Parker primarily helps in Salisbury, while Trevor runs the stand in Allentown. Trevor also will oversee operations at the Slatington Farmers Market.
The new stand will operate in a similar fashion to the bakery’s location at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market, where it offers a condensed version of the bakery’s full menu due to space limitations, Tina said.
Customers can still anticipate a wide selection of treats, including more than 20 varieties of doughnuts. Popular doughnut selections include strawberry, chocolate cinnamon, Oreo-stuffed, Bavarian cream and various crullers, including blueberry, chocolate and vanilla.
The bakery also offers seasonal selections, including pumpkin muffins, pumpkin crullers and pumpkin mousse-filled doughnuts around Thanksgiving and kiffles around Christmas.
Joining a growing roster
At the Slatington Farmers Market, Sunny Moon Sconery and Vallos Bakery are joining more than 40 other tenants, including other food and beverage vendors such as Bulb Coffee, Illumination Brewing, Stone Lake Winery, Takkii Ramen, True Blue Mediterranean, Pizza & Burger Hub, Uncle Jay’s BBQ and Sweets & Greens (crepes, salads, smoothies and more).
Businesses opening over the past few monthsinclude Green Dice Games, carrying gaming supplies for Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and other games; Tribal Gatherings, specializing in cultural art and decor for your home, spirit and body; Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop, a one-of-a-kind teddy bear workshop that kids love, and parents and educators trust; Mia Bella Candles, offering hand-poured candles that are made in the USA with environmentally safe waxes and high quality fragrances; The Cheesesteak Factory, serving cheesesteaks, subs, tacos and other Tex-Mex specialties; and Dandeez, specializing in Chinese food and street food specialties from all over the world.
Other popular tenants include Bleiler’s Produce Patch, AK Farms, Superior Deli, Kassidy’s Manga Lane, Serendipitous Boutique and Only Trees by Carol Mickey.
The farmers market, totaling nearly 30,000 square feet and featuring a new outdoor patio, opened in June 2022 in the former Keystone Lamp Factory at 8281 Route 873.
