Our story, and some good words from others.

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I’m Brian Noyes, founder of the Red Truck Bakery. While art director at The Washington Post, Smithsonian and other magazines, I trained at culinary schools (CIA in Hyde Park NY, L’Academie de Cuisine near DC, King Arthur Baking in Norwich VT) and left publishing to open a bakery in rural Virginia. We now have two locations, ship thousands of items nationwide every year, and have written two cookbooks. The Red Truck Bakery Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2018) is in its fifth printing, and The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2022) will be released August 2

In 2009, I launched the Red Truck Bakery in an old 1921 Esso filling station. Out front I parked the old red truck (a 1954 Ford F-100) I bought from designer Tommy Hilfiger. As soon as we opened, we started receiving some darned good national press and accolades. Marian Burros of The New York Times was the first to notice what we were up to; she wrote about us two years in a row in her round-up of 15 favorite food purveyors across the country, and she’ll forever remain our sweetheart. Jane & Michael Stern of Roadfood.com have been our loudest and proudest fans, shouting from all over the country in many national magazines and on NPR’s Splendid Table about what’s coming out of our ovens (and they named us to Roadfood’s “Hall of Fame of All Time”). That meant a lot to me; I grew up with a battered copy of Roadfood in our glove compartment and used it on our travels throughout the country—that book inspired me to think about ditching a career in publishing and opening a charming little food joint, and we did. We now have a second location in a former 1922 pharmacy and Masonic lodge (our neighbor Robert Duvall cut the ribbon), and our opening helped launch a food renaissance in our little village.

A few honors we’re especially proud of: Southern Living gave our rum cake their 2018 Food Award, and in 2021 named us one of “The South’s Best Bakeries.” Food & Wine named our peanut pie "the best pie in the state of Virginia." Garden & Gun and judge Sean Brock gave our sweet potato bourbon pecan pie “Made in the South Award” honors.  Parade magazine chose our Shenandoah apple cake to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in their roundup of the best food item in each of the 50 states. Two of our state’s Governors have sent our cakes as their Christmas gifts. Washingtonian magazine, in a blind taste test, named our pumpkin pie the “Best in D.C.” (and we're 50 miles away!). And when President Obama wrote on Pi Day at length about us and our pies—and posted to The White House website and Facebook page—our site crashed. It was well worth it. 

“I like pie. That's not a state secret. And I can confirm that the Red Truck Bakery makes some darn good pie.” His posting is here. 

“One of my favorite discoveries is Brian Noyes, the owner of the Red Truck Bakery in Virginia, who has a deft hand with pastries and an unerring sense of flavor balance.”

“One of America’s best small-town bakeries.”

“The Red Truck Bakery’s moonshine cake is one of our favorite mail order foods of the year!”

“One of the best online food sites: Fall in love with the Red Truck Bakery’s sour cream coffee cake, buttery rum cake, and quiches.”

“I loooove me some Red Truck sweet potato pie!”

“The Red Truck Bakery is one of our old favorites in ‘Ten Timeless Southern Shops.’ The cakes are all fantastic and they're all made with love at this rural Virginia landmark.”

“The Red Truck Bakery is one of America’s 13 Destination Bakeries.”

“The Red Truck is one of America’s 50 Best Bakeries.”

“Brian Noyes of the Red Truck Bakery is on a mission to resurrect the much-maligned mincemeat pie. Mission accomplished!”

“Most mornings I have Greek yogurt with Red Truck Bakery granola—the best granola in North America.”