Montpelier bakery sets date to destroy gingerbread village

It takes one lucky person to tear down a gingerbread village.

In a first for Montpelier-based Birchgrove Baking, the sweet treat establishment is hosting a raffle. Customers will be sold tickets "for the chance to win the right to destroy the village." 

Initially, after the holiday season was over, the bakery struggles to find a creative way to raze their gingerbread village.

"Every year we had a problem of how to get rid of the house," said Birchgrove co-owner John Belding. Most times the bakery owners would resort to destroying it themselves, getting out their own tension from the hectic year.

For 11 years, Belding and co-owner Jennifer Toce have held the tradition of building gingerbread villages and setting them up in their shop display. Each year has brought different gingerbread house themes, as well as more involvement from customers and local families.

Sales from this year's raffle will go toward the Central Vermont Humane Society, an ongoing collaborator with Birchgrove Baking. Winners will be announced on Friday, Jan. 10.

Contact Ethan Bakuli at (802) 556-1804 or ebakuli@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BakuliEthan. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up for a digital subscription.