Downtown Fillmore's charming Central Avenue exudes a typical suburban atmosphere, featuring family-owned grocery stores, vintage shops, hair salons, and eateries lining the roads, along with an operational one-screen cinema dating back to 1916. This Ventura County town, situated roughly 55 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, serves as the residence for Roan Mills ,a beloved Southern California institution known both as a bakery and a regular at local farmers markets. From Santa Monica all the way up to Santa Barbara, customers flock to find this establishment’s signature yellow and brown branding and queue up for their delectable pastries such as light-as-air croissants available in plain, chocolate, almond, and ham and cheese varieties, along with fresh seasonal scones. Their flaky hand pies filled with fruit flavors evolve according to each season; however, options like barbecue pork, chicken, and mushroom hand pies stay constant throughout the year. Additionally, visitors often make sure not to miss out on purchasing one of their sought-after artisanal breads which include classic baguettes alongside more distinctive offerings such as kalamata olive or cranberry walnut boules, and focaccias adorned with freshly picked vegetables sourced directly from nearby farms.
Roan Mills seamlessly blends with its quaint hometown setting, radiating classic general-store charm through handcrafted seafoam green cabinets stocked with various dry goods and freshly made treats like their exceptional Morello cherry pie. The space still features a substantial vintage safe, remnants from when this 6,000-square-foot structure functioned as the original Safeway supermarket for the area. Glancing about quickly shows assortments of organic flours, pasta varieties, and fresh veggies—most products originate directly from the farm-to-table efforts managed by the family-run business.
In refrigerated displays at Roan Mills, you can find their fresh pasta alongside hearty savory pies like shepherd’s pie or mushroom pot pie. Customers also drop by for sandwiches, such as the Frenchie, which features prosciutto, brie cheese, locally sourced honey, and arugula on ficelle bread, as well as pizzas—but these pizza options are exclusively served on Fridays and Saturdays during the midday hours.
"Roan Mills started as a bakery in 2013, however, the retail space you see today launched in 2017," explains Andrea Crawford, who runs the company alongside her spouse Robert Dedlow. "For us, Roan Mills feels like our final offspring; we have four kids and consider this venture our fifth one," she shares with a chuckle.
Crawford and Dedlow chose the Fillmore location, situated near the 126 highway, approximately 25 minutes away from Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, and around one hour’s drive from downtown Los Angeles as well as Santa Barbara, due to pragmatic considerations. "We required a place, but property in Los Angeles comes with extremely high costs," explains Crawford. "There was nothing we could afford there that would be feasible." Currently, Roan Mills employs 20 full-time staff members who craft delectable sweets and savories for locals, farmers' markets, and passersby traveling via the 126.
Well before establishing Roan Mills, Crawford was already renowned within the Californian culinary scene. During the 1980s, she cultivated herbs and lettuces in her Berkeley plot for use at Alice Waters’ restaurant, Chez Panisse. Subsequently relocating to Los Angeles when Wolfgang Puck sought particular greens for his eatery, Spago, Crawford found herself naturally gravitating towards the realm of baking. "At home, I started baking since I needed to prepare my children's packed lunches," she explains. "Making their bread became an engaging activity; you could say it got under my skin." Describing herself as a true 'bread enthusiast,' she eventually connected with a local group dedicated to such pursuits. Los Angeles Bread Bakers "I encountered individuals who shared my enthusiasm and would happily discuss it for hours on end," she explains.
After trial and error in both baking and growing her own wheat in Agoura Hills (which included a lost battle against ground squirrels), Dedlow tried his hand at farming wheat in 2012 on land they owned in Hollister in Northern California. “And then we had 80,000 pounds of grain because he knows what he’s doing,” says Crawford.
While terms like “sustainable” or “regenerative” farming are fashionable, Crawford thinks that people are “glomming onto them like they’re the new big, big thing.” She prefers to talk about conscientious, organic farming, which has been practiced for ages. Roan Mills typically plants in December on 150 organic acres in the Imperial Valley and harvests in June. “During that whole time, the field producing this crop has very, very deep roots, which is good,” Crawford says. “After it’s harvested, it’s fallow. We dig all that stubble in, and it sits because we don’t farm there in the summer because it’s too hot.” The rest period allows the soil to become fertile and ready for planting again the following winter.
We have no interest in expanding. This is precisely the size we wish to maintain at present.
After harvesting their abundant crop of wheat, she considered selling the wheat berries via Kenter Canyon Farms, which is affiliated with Roan Mills—a business owned by her family. At first, Crawford doubted whether there would be significant interest in these products at Kenter Canyon’s booths at nearby farmer’s markets. However, she acknowledges that Laura Avery, who previously managed the Santa Monica farmer’s markets for many years, provided crucial advice when setting up Roan Mills' inaugural stand. They began offering flour, wheat berries, and 100% whole wheat sourdough loaves there. "Our approach was strictly focused on utilizing just flour, water, and salt," she explains. Utilizing whole wheat flour resulted in a loaf that was both heartier and denser, imbued with richer, nuttier flavors.
As an unparalleled farmer, miller, and baker, Roan Mills cultivates heirloom grains (like Sonora, Glenn, and Red Fife wheats ) that existed prior to wheat cultivation in the The early 1900s started concentrating on breeds that produced more. . People with People with gluten sensitivities often find they can more easily tolerate these heirloom varieties. Due to their oversight of the entire milling procedure, Roan Mills' wheat berries are freshly ground into flour every day. enabling the newly ground flour to retain a higher amount of its nutrients — whole complex carbohydrates, ample proteins, and essential minerals — preserved.
Primarily utilizing and offering grains from their own harvests, the stone-ground whole wheat flour and various grains can be purchased in two-, four-, and ten-pound packages either at the bakery or during their farmer’s market appearances on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Crawford adheres to seasonal practices in both agriculture and baking, which means the selection of goodies at the bakery may vary unpredictably. When oranges are in season, Roan Mills creates an eye-catching upside-down blood orange cake, along with assembling beautiful tartines featuring pears and blue cheese during autumn .
In late 2022, Roan Mills launched a coffee initiative along with their selection of teas and matcha beverages. "Adding coffee to our bakery naturally follows," states Crawford. She explains, "Customers anticipate this addition, and it has been part of our long-term plan; however, I ensured operations were robust enough before committing resources." Currently, the staff at the front counter prepares matcha lattes and espressos using their very own La Marzocco machine, featuring roast options from Prospect Coffee Roasters in Ventura .
Don't anticipate seeing more of Roan Mills' store fronts spreading throughout Los Angeles even with the additional drink options. Apart from their coffee offerings, Crawford and Dedlow do not intend to expand Roan Mills' presence or increase its operations. many other bakeries have done. “We’re not into expansion,” Crawford says. “We’re exactly the size we want to be right now.”
Discover Roan Mills' selection of baked goods at various farmers markets including those in Santa Monica (on Wednesday and Saturday), Hollywood, Atwater, Goleta, and Santa Barbara. Additionally, you can find them at the company’s retail location at 411 Central Ave., Fillmore, California, which operates from Wednesdays through Sundays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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