What happens when a fire unexpectedly burns down your home? Obviously, you muster as many resources and courage as possible, and from the ashes, you rebuild. This is how our Little Portion Bakery got started.
The fire of 2008 that burned down the original Charity Chapel was the impetus that forced foundress, Viola Talbot, to get creative with how to feed the residents of the Monastic Community. Being resourceful and frugal, she fed members of her spiritual family in simple ways as plans were being generated to rebuild the Chapel and the Common Center. She used donations that were given ... oats, sugar, maple syrup, among other things -- and started to make batches of granola with regularity. Even for the annual National Gathering, that assembled members from around the country, she baked granola for breakfast. People were amazed at the flavor and the bounty of Viola's Granola, and this is how the product got its name.
As this went on for a few years, she made the granola in her new stainless- steel kitchen. Since it was such a hit for the National Gatherings, she even filled orders for people to take this granola home with them. Then it dawned on her that this could be sold to a larger audience, and with the help of her friend, Mari Curry, work started to develop a marketing strategy that would increase production, bringing Viola's Granola to more houses throughout the country. And this is what she has done. From its humble beginnings to feed her spiritual family, Viola Talbot has produced a product that even found its way into the Fancy Food Convention in New Cork City in the summer of 2017.
What can a mother's love do with a few simple ingredients and a heart that loves Jesus?