About Us
About Us
Jay Cooks Bakery is an artisan bakery located in Wrenshall, MN – right on the border of Jay Cooke State Park.
Kiara founded the bakery out of a deep love for whole, fresh, and delicious baked goods. Her motto is simple: Everyone Deserves a Cookie. Growing up in a small community in Northern Minnesota, she appreciates deep-rooted community and giving back to her neighbors.
Kiara and Everett (husband) have a deep passion for the outdoors. You can catch them hiking on the hundreds of trails near the bakery with their pups, kayaking and fishing, biking on the Munger Trail, having a bonfire, or tending their yard and garden.
Kiara is a University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) graduate and a proud Bulldog alum. She has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Entrepreneurship. For the last 5 years, she’s worked in Digital Marketing in the Twin Ports.
Kiara’s goal in life is to leave the world a little better than how she found it. She believes in spreading kindness – always. Whenever you see her, you can expect a warm smile and a listening ear. Everything she bakes is truly made with love.
As someone who hasn’t been able to eat dairy for nearly 10 years, Kiara turned that challenge into inspiration. She wanted to prove that dairy-free desserts can be just as indulgent, soft, and flavorful as traditional ones. Now, she’s expanded that vision into gluten-free and dairy-free desserts!
Our Values
Passion
When you craft things, passion shows in your workmanship. We believe in passion for whatever we are doing. We are very enthusiastic people!
Community
To us, community is everything. We are lucky to be part of the Northland community, and are blessed to get to call Wrenshall and the Twin Ports area our home. We are always looking for impactful ways to give back to our community. Please reach out if you have a need or want to partner!
Empathy & Kindness
Everyone fights a battle you know nothing about. We are strong believers in empathy, and welcome everyone with open arms. We also believe in kindness – especially towards animals. We are always sourcing locally when available. Our eggs come from our own hens, or from the hens at Farm LoLa!
Everyone deserves a delicious treat or nourishing loaf of bread. That’s why we offer dairy-free and gluten-free options too!
Sustainability & Responsibility
During Kiara’s time as a barista at Starbucks, she was always saddened by the amount of plastic waste just one store went through. When she thought of what that would look like on a global scale for one company, her heart sank.
We are always looking for ways to be more sustainable and uphold our responsibility to our community and the earth of being good stewards. From sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, to better packaging and less waste, we are always adjusting, improving, and working to be better.