{"id":284380,"date":"2025-06-09T21:30:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T21:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/baking-category-a-b\/the-rise-of-small-state-provisions\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T21:30:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T21:30:57","slug":"the-rise-of-small-state-provisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=284380","title":{"rendered":"The Rise of Small State Provisions"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Kevin Masse has always been drawn to the kitchen, where the rhythm of cooking and baking was at the heart of his upbringing. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, the kitchen was a lively place every night as the family gathered around the table, with quality ingredients always at the center of their meals. His Italian grandmother, too, played a key role in igniting his deep love for food. It was by her side that he first learned to bake with fresh dough, as she lovingly crafted her homemade pizzas for the family to enjoy.\u201cI think the first time I cooked dinner for my family, I was probably 10 or 11 years old,\u201d Kevin recalls. \u201cIt has always been a part of my life.\u201d His love for the precision and methodical nature of baking grew in high school, though he never imagined it would turn into a career.<\/p>\n

\"Pastries<\/a>For years, baking stayed a cherished hobby. Even while he worked in marketing and media in New York City, Kevin found time to bake for dinner parties and office gatherings. A serendipitous shift into food media reignited his passion for baking. During this time, he worked with Bake from Scratch<\/i>, developing content partnerships with many of the brands that continue to collaborate with the publication today. This also led to him contributing the cover recipe to the May\/June 2017 issue, a moment that foreshadowed his future in the baking world.<\/p>\n

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\"Kevin<\/a>In 2019, Kevin\u2019s journey took a pivotal turn. After relocating from New York City to the Hartford, Connecticut, area with his husband, Michael, a professor at Trinity College, Kevin secured one of West Hartford\u2019s first cottage food licenses\u2014just as it became legal for home bakers to sell directly to consumers. About the same time, he was gifted a sourdough starter by his friend cookbook author Terry Walters. This starter\u2014and the sourdough techniques she shared with him\u2014became the foundation of Small State Provisions.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI started making a couple of loaves a week,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cI was baking in Dutch ovens at home, selling on a subscription model.\u201d Customers signed up for eight-week sessions, during which Kevin delivered fresh loaves straight to their doors. It was a small, sustainable operation\u2014until everything changed in March 2020.<\/p>\n

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, contactless delivery became a necessity, and Kevin adapted quickly, baking and dropping off loaves at customers\u2019 homes. \u201cI had this moment where I thought, \u2018I can either stop doing this or lean in and make it work,\u2019\u201d he says. He chose the latter, and before long, Small State Provisions outgrew his home kitchen. He converted part of his house into a bakery, setting up a shaping table, a bread oven, and a 40-quart spiral mixer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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By the end of 2020, it was clear this was no longer just a side project. With several full-time employees relying on him, Kevin made the leap to full-time bakery owner. The bakery\u2019s first retail location, a cozy 200-square-foot space, opened in July 2021. It quickly became apparent they needed more room. In July 2023, Small State Provisions moved into a larger space, expanding into a full caf\u00e9 experience and increased production.<\/p>\n

Behind this success is a true family effort. His husband helped get the bakery off the ground, while his dad is Chief Technology Officer, his stepmom is Chief Financial Officer, and his stepdad is his accountant. \u201cIt really does take a village to open a bakery and grow it,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m so grateful for mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Small State Provisions isn\u2019t just about making great bread and pastries\u2014it\u2019s about creating a space where customers feel seen and valued. \u201cWe greet every customer as if they were family,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cWe get to know them, their kids\u2019 names, their orders. It\u2019s not just a transaction; it\u2019s about connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sense of hospitality extends to his team as well. Kevin created a set of core values\u2014his own version of the Ten Commandments\u2014to ensure his employees feel supported. \u201cFamily comes first, second, and third,\u201d he explains. \u201cI want my team to know that their personal lives matter, that we respect their time and commitments outside of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/a><\/p>\n

From the start, Small State Provisions has focused on high-quality, organic ingredients. \u201cWhen you\u2019re only working with flour, salt, and water, you have to pay attention to the details,\u201d Kevin says. His team sources organic grains whenever possible, including locally milled rye flour from a small producer in Hadley, Massachusetts. \u201cWe try to work with small, local providers first before turning to national ones,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s about supporting our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s commitment to quality extends to his other baked goods, too. The bakery started with just two types of cookies and one scone, but today, the pastry case overflows with butter croissants, chocolate croissants, almond croissants, banana bread, and more. If you visit the bakery, three must-try items are his chewy gingerbread cookies, signature sourdough, and never-too-sweet blueberry scones.<\/p>\n

Now, Small State Provisions has two locations and employs more than 30 people, a mix of full- and part-time staff. Some of them are high school students getting their first taste of the working world\u2014something Kevin loves to support, inspired by his own teenage job at regional supermarket Wegmans. \u201cI love that we can offer a space where young people can learn the art of hospitality,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re part of something bigger here.\u201d\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

While Kevin still spends time in the production kitchen, his role has evolved. A leadership course with the Bread Bakers Guild of America introduced him to the concept of working from \u201cthe balcony\u201d\u2014stepping back to oversee operations rather than being hands-on in production. \u201cIt\u2019s a transition I\u2019m working through,\u201d he admits. \u201cBut I love leading the team and making sure they feel supported.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through all the growth and success, Kevin\u2019s love for baking remains unchanged. \u201cIt\u2019s still magical to me,\u201d he says. \u201cTaking something raw, putting it in the oven, and pulling out something completely transformed\u2014it never gets old.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/a><\/p>\n

His personal favorites? The bakery\u2019s sourdough baguettes, which remind him of his travels to Paris. He also loves the focaccia, baked in a square pan with extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt. \u201cThat one\u2019s really special,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s simple but perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecticut, the third-smallest state in the country, inspired the name Small State Provisions. While the name reflects the state\u2019s size, the bakery itself represents something much bigger: a business that has grown from a small cottage operation into a cornerstone of its community, built on the values of quality, connection, and care\u2014one thoughtfully crafted loaf at a time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n