Our Story

‘Simple Elegance Catering aka The Neighborhood Bakery’ once located on State Street for 8 years in Rutland is now re-homed on Route 7 in Pittsford VT.   Just a 7 minute Journey to the Moon, The Harvest Moon that is, a Cafe and Bakehouse nestled in at the The Sugar House Square.  A charming replication of a Sugaring House which beckons both travelers and locals to rub elbows and enjoy fare of ‘Quality and Goodness.’

Andrea has had a love affair creating dishes in all types of establishments around the country from the local dive to 4 star restaurants and has enjoyed every minute of it.

The Dressed Up Mud Cake
During her childhood, mashing pine needles to infuse sap into the snow “batter” seemed perfectly natural. Breaking branches into julienned sticks for just the right size candle was a detail. The proper sized rocks for stews and the perfect consistency for mud glaze was vital. The perfect casserole. The dressed up mud cake. All too exciting.

To put this in the proper timeline one must know that her three best costumers were Pebbles, BamBam and Charming Chatty. A need for special foods for Barbie and Ken was created due to the size of their appetite.

Andrea’s Easy Bake Oven
The low hung branches with whisky fanned pines needles made the deck oven in which she would carefully place every easy bake oven pan she had. A meticulous little getaway under the pine trees nestled by the front porch of her home. With a chuckle, she recalls sweeping the ground under the pines and closing up shop. Just like today. 

Perhaps in time she will print her childhood recipes, but until the FDA approves the use of Ajax, Dr.Lyons Tooth Paste, Noxema and Vicks, her prized soufflé will be kept in the archives.
“Childhood memories are an important reminder…It’s all in the imagination.”

Harry’s Bakery Beginnings
Harry started his bakery career at the age of 14, honing his skills in the art of Old World Scratch Baking, which is transparent in his product. Looking around it’s easy to see that boxed, frozen and highly processed desserts have flooded the market. Not so from the Bakers Bench. Harry’s perception of fresh is the donut just taken out of the fryer or the bread cooling on the rack. Product is made on premise, like old fashion – a passionate mission that has become Harry’s Tradition.

Harry meets Andrea
Simple Elegance was established in 1976 by Andrea and Harry McCaulley, graduates of the Culinary Institute America located in Hyde Park, New York.  Andrea gave up baking for Pebbles and BamBam and took on the honor of cooking ‘slow food’ for their children, Jaime and Malachi.  Harry continued to ‘roll in the dough’ and together they have all played a vital role in the humble beginnings of Simple Elegance.

Chocolate Moves In!
As they settled into their first rent they started their first Homestead Bakery and Catering Outfit.  Hand crafted chocolates, signature cheesecakes and gourmet cakes were pedaled to local restaurants in Hartford, Ct.   Homemade entrees found a niche on the CT Coast and Culinary Gingerbread Classes and Dough Art became a trend that fulfilled the artist in Andrea. Chocolate bunnies, chocolate ducks, chocolate volkswagons and chocolate of all kinds lined the shelves at holiday times.  It is the ‘chocolate linguine’ recipe in their archive of recipes that makes them laugh together remembering those ‘Dark Chocolate Years.’

Homestead Vermont
It was their yearning for backyard freedom and their search for solid child rearing grounds that led them to a life changing decision to move their family to VT in 1989.   The homestead Bakery and Catering branched into hand-crafted breads, scratch cakes, desserts, off premise catering and many teen events as their family grew.  With the kids off in college they opened their first retail shop on State Street in Rutland, VT.

 Harvest Moon Cafe and Bakehouse
With the same passion they had the day they left the Culinary,  Harry and Andrea offer you their Hospitality at the Harvest Moon Cafe and Bakehouse on Rt 7 in Pittsford, VT.

Native People    Local Bounty    Global Diversity

Drop in, the MoonCakes are on, Harry’s rolling in the dough, and Andrea, she is just hankering to Cook for You.