Our Story

Central Illinois Bakehouse was founded as Pekara (“bakery” in Serbian) Bakehouse in 2008 by our dear friend Seka Cuk. Seka’s commitment to quality ingredients and traditional European baking techniques never wavered and we hold true to the same values now years later.

The current owners, Jeffrey and Lauren Brokish, have been working with the Bakehouse since its inception and are looking forward to growing with our team of talented, skilled bakers for decades to come. Our breads are truly made with love. Love for our community, love for our family, and love for the true joy that comes from enjoying a meal crafted by passionate artisans.  

Our mission is to create a sustainable artisan baking company that is a meaningful part of our local food network, our community, and our team members’ lives by crafting products that are of the highest quality and that bring happiness to both the creators that we employ and the customers that we serve.

Our Core Values

  1. We are proud to be a small, family-owned business and we work each day to demonstrate how deeply we value and respect our team members and their wellness.

  2. We constantly strive to create a supportive work environment for all our team members and pledge to work with them in growing their careers with us.

  3. We value diversity on our team and promise to always provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who works with us.

  4. We believe in fostering a positive worldview and working towards achieving growth and success for our company and our team members.

  5. We believe in the fundamental right to fair wages and strive to be an industry leader in paying all team members a fair and living wage.

  6. We believe in the human right to happiness and maintaining a healthful work/life balance.

  7. We take great pride in crafting nutritious, clean-label baked products of the highest quality and strive to source ingredients from sustainable, like-minded vendors.

  8. We value excellence in our field and work each day to refine and perfect our craft.

  9. We value our company’s profitability as it is the means by which we are able to further invest in our team and our community.

  10. We believe in corporate responsibility to our community and actively seek opportunities to support our neighborhood and our larger community through donations, service, and civic engagement.