North South Baking Co.
Ludlow, Kentucky
Kate Nycz is a self-taught baker who grew up on the East Coast and fell in love with the Midwest’s charm and agriculture. Nycz started baking as a teenager but kept it as a hobby until years later, while working at Whole Foods in Michigan, she found her community in the local agricultural scene and shifted her focus to baking full time.
In 2017, Nycz moved to Cincinnati and started her bakery, North South Baking Co. Nycz chose Cincinnati due to its proximity to farms. She’s made it a point to build relationships with local farmers and to use their goods as much as possible in her recipes. “I love farming and talking to people,” she says. “I love hearing their stories and the history behind the farms.”
Nycz has used the skills she learned from working in large- and small-scale production bakeries to keep her business adaptable. After a stagnant 2020, she and her team are embracing all the new opportunities coming their way. “It feels like everything that was on hold from 2020 is moving at light speed now,” she says. “It’s all really good.”
Nycz plans on opening a brick-and-mortar location in Ludlow, KY, to bring more local food into the community. In the meantime, she looks forward to whipping up her signature galettes, quiches, morning buns, breads, and more—and continuing to build relationships across the region. “I want to be the connection between the farmers and producers I know and the community there,” she says.