Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Clyde.
Hi Matthew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started baking as a very young child, climbing up on a chair to help my mom make cookies and it’s all been downhill from there! By the time I was in Jr. High, I was always baking things for my friends and family and knew that I wanted to own a bakery one day. My 16th birthday present was a cake decorating kit and for my 18th birthday/graduation/Christmas, I got a KitchenAid mixer.
On the day I turned 18, I started my first bakery job at Thanksgiving Point. (it was the first day I could legally touch the equipment) After high school, I graduated from Western Culinary Institute in Portland, OR in Patisserie & Baking. Then moved home to Utah to marry my high school sweetheart, work at a series of bakeries through Utah County, and study Food Science at BYU. All leading up to the founding of Wandering Wheat in 2018.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was a huge leap of faith launching into business on my own, especially with a family of 7 to support, but I have been extremely fortunate every step of the way.
There have been lots of little unanticipated bumps, delays, and pandemics (maybe not so little…) to get through, but never anything that left me feeling ready to throw in the towel.
We’ve been impressed with Wandering Wheat Bakery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Wandering Wheat is a mobile bakery specializing in hand-crafted artisan bread. We are based in Provo, UT where we have a small production facility. We bake everything there, then sell it at various farmers’ markets, fairs, and roadside locations. It is a small, family-run business.
I am the only baker (for now…starting to train a few of my kids a little more), and my wife and kids help with the packaging and selling when we have busier days/events. Our Classic Sourdough bread is our number one seller and won UtahTasteOff’s 2021 sourdough bread taste-off. We usually have between 8 and 12 rotating varieties of bread each week and bake them all fresh within hours of selling them.
You can follow us on Facebook or Instagram @wandering.wheat where we post our menus and schedules, and announce when we’re taking holiday orders. There is also a calendar that shows where/when we’ll be out selling. www.wanderingwheat.com.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Pretty introverted. You could usually find me with my nose in a book or absorbed in an epic RPG video game. My 5th-grade recesses typically found me in the library helping the librarian digitize the school’s card catalog. I was a straight-A student and something of a teacher’s pet.
In high school, I got very into the theater: acting and tech crew. Although I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, when the musicals rolled around I found myself in roles such as the Cow in “Into the Woods” or the Stiff in “Lucky Stiff.” I was also on the yearbook staff and served as the Editor-in-Chief of a Scholastic Silver Crown-winning yearbook my senior year.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wanderingwheat.com
- Instagram: @wandering.wheat
- Facebook: @wandering.wheat
