Frequently Asked Questions
When is Sea Wolf closed?
Sea Wolf is closed for retail sales, special order, and wholesale on the following dates:
Labor Day: Monday, September 2 - Tuesday, September 3, 2024 (Pastry goods only on Wednesday, September 4)
Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 21 - Friday, November 22, 2023 (Pastry goods only on Saturday, November 23)
Christmas: Tuesday, December 24 - Thursday, December 26, 2023 (Pastry goods only on Friday, December 27)
To make sure you get the bread and pastry you want on a holiday weekend, consider placing an order 2 days in advance.
Why don’t you practice tipping at Sea Wolf?
Since our beginning, Sea Wolf Bakers has been a tip free business. We pay our staff a fair wage (higher than required minimum wage), offer health insurance and matched retirement funds, and provide paid vacation.
Tipping, which subsidizes the wages that employers pay, is frequently used by businesses to justify low wages. We take sole responsibility for providing our staff a livable wage. Our prices reflect those costs and your purchase supports fair pay.
Curious to learn more options on the topic? Read this or this.
Do you make donations to local organizations and non-profits?
Yes, Sea Wolf regularly gives in-kind and cash gifts to causes and organizations that are doing good work in our region. If you would like to inquire about a donation, please visit the donations page on our website.
What is the significance of the name “Sea Wolf”?
Sea Wolf is the title of a Jack London novel published in 1904. Also, the Pacific Northwest is home to sea wolves who prowl the coastlines of Vancouver Island.
Can I buy levain (sourdough starter) from the bakery?
Levain is free! Just come by our sales counter and let us know you’d like some.
What nuts or common allergens are in your products?
Sea Wolf does not use tree nuts or peanuts in any of its bread or pastry products. We do our best to keep nuts out of the bakery entirely, but do not prohibit staff from carefully snacking on nuts nor do we check our products for cross-contamination.
Some of our breads have dairy products, others do not. Details about ingredients in each bread are available here.
Can I call ahead and have bread set aside for me?
Because we experience high demand from walk-in customers, we cannot set aside bread for customers who call in the day they are going to come in. If you call, we can let you know what is still currently available on the shelves. To place an order 2 days in advance, use our online pre-order platform, and we’ll set everything aside for you ahead of time.
Where does your flour come from?
Our all-purpose white flour is from Shepherd’s Grain. Our whole grain flours including rye are from Cairnspring Mills in Burlington, WA. Our rye berries come from Fairhaven Mills.
Is the lye roll like a pretzel roll?
One might refer to the lye roll as a “pretzel roll”, but because the rolls do not have a classic pretzel shape, they are not in the strictest sense a “pretzel”.
Do you make anything gluten free?
No. All our breads and pastry products contain either Hard Red Wheat Flour or Rye Flour. Both rye and wheat contain the protein known as gluten.