Second Act Stories

Brian Noyes was an art director for 30+ years with top publications like The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Architecture and House & Garden. He loved his work. But he also loved baking. And he regularly took week-long courses at schools like the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD. After the September 11th attack, he decided to buy a weekend house in rural Virginia -- an escape from his design work in Washington, DC. As a hobby, he started making jams and pies for a local country store under the name the Red Truck Bakery. He quickly developed a devoted, local following. His big break came in 2008 when legendary New York Times food columnist Marian Burros tried some of his baked goods at a friend's 4th of July party. She later wrote in a holiday, round-up article: “One of my favorite discoveries is Brian Noyes, the owner of the Red Truck Bakery in Virginia, who has a deft hand with pastries and an unerring sense of flavor balance.” Brian's website wen