Josh Allen is the Founder of Companion Baking. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, Allen was immersed in the food and baking industry from an early age. His great-grandfather founded Allen Foods, a well-known broadline food distributor with a large customer base across the Midwest. Allen spent much of his childhood delivering groceries to various foodservice operations, cleaning the freezers and sweeping the trucks for his family’s business. In 1991, Allen earned his degree in American Studies from Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Following graduation, Allen remained in the Bay Area working for various artisan bakers and grocery stores including Whole Foods Market and the Oakville Grocery Co., where he gained valuable baking experience and learned what it took to operate a business. With a dream of opening a baking facility of his own, Allen returned home to St. Louis in 1993 and leased a small corner of a manufacturing facility operated by his family to create Companion Baking. He started with just six breads in Companion’s production line but gradually expanded the business, partnering with local and regional restaurants and grocery chains to build the customized bread programs Companion has become known for. Today, Companion’s award-winning bread is served in more than 400 restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses around the Midwest and across the country. Allen credits his success to listening and nimbly adapting to his customers’ wants and needs. In addition to their baking operations, Companion has two cafes in the St. Louis area and has expanded to offer a small line of pastries. Josh looks forward to continuing develop curated bread programs for regional and national multi-unit operators by helping them tell their story through bread. Outside Companion, Josh enjoys cycling, running and spending time with his five kids.   In this episode we discuss: What inspired Josh to become involved in artisan bread baking How he started his first wholesale business, Companion Baking, at the age of 24 Josh’s emphasis on “listening to his customers” How he cultivated the customized bread programs at Companion Baking Companion Baking’s initiative to reduce waste across the board How Companion Baking has dealt with labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflation Josh’s top tip for measuring fermentation And much more!   Episode Sponsored by Puratos Imagine a milk-alike, plant-based chocolate that tastes great and does good. That’s what makes new Belcolade M. Plant Based Cacao-Trace Chocolate so exceptional. Our cocoa beans are carefully selected and fermented to perfection at our post-harvest centers across the globe. The result is a creamy, dairy-free chocolate like no other—and greater income for our cocoa farmers. Take your creations to the next level with Belcolade M. Plant-Based Chocolate. Great Taste, Doing Good.