BY TED SHOCKLEY, Eastern Shore Post —
It was a remarkable sight: A long line of people formed during the morning hours at a Cape Charles business, waiting to have a turn at the counter.
It was a scene that repeated itself frequently at The Bakery on Mason, which specialized in bread, pastries, and sandwiches.
It had a dedicated following of enthusiastic customers. And owner Louise Orlando developed friendships with most of them.
“We’ve had a lot of support,” said Orlando, who has been baking bread for 15 years and operated The Bakery on Mason for five years.
But she wasn’t feeling well and got a diagnosis that conflicted with her vocation.
Gluten, a protein found in grains and breads, was triggering an autoimmune disorder.
“Once I stopped eating gluten items, I felt a lot better,” she said.
She found she could not be around flour, even if she wasn’t eating it.
It prompted her to close the business.
“It’s definitely sad,” she said. “We’ve gotten to know a lot of people.”
On The Bakery on Mason’s Facebook page, she wrote, “We’ve loved the long lines, the chats, and the happy — old and new — faces.”
Oliver hopes someone comes in and takes over the business in the future. She said there has been some interest.
In the meantime, she will feel better being away from gluten products. And she understands the irony of the heralded bread maker who could not be around the ingredients to needed to make it.
“It’s all just weird,” she said.
