Could This Be Good For You? A Florida Baker Goes the Extra Mile

Christine Apthorp began envisioning her business when she was in college studying international politics and global humanitarian aid efforts at Flagler College in St. Augustine. After graduating and working with the Department of Defense and State Department in Washington D.C., her desire to marry her passions for health and wellness and wanting to give back in a more personal way continued to grow.

In 2022, Apthorp decided to make an impact at the grassroots level, in her own community, and created Alms + Fare, “alms” meaning charitable giving and “fare” meaning food. “I was determined to start something that made an impact that I could see,” she says.

Alms + Fare owner Christine Apthorp.

The bakery located on San Marco Avenue in historic St. Augustine, Florida makes traditional baked goods in a more conscious way. While living on her own and working full-time, Apthorp became more aware of the ingredients in her food and noticed the impact it had on her health and energy. She saw the need for healthier options, especially for those with dietary restrictions.

While studying at Flagler, she met her husband who has celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten, and witnessed first hand how difficult it was to eat out safely. “So, I wanted to create a space where people who want and need to eat a certain way can do so without fear, and with many options,” she says.

Everything at Alms + Fare is made with organic ingredients as well as being gluten free, dairy free, and naturally sweetened. Customer favorites include the cinnamon bun paired with a maple cinnamon hot latte, while Apthorp’s go-to is a classic chocolate chip cookie with an iced vanilla latte or strawberry iced matcha. And for those who don’t live in St. Augustine, Alms + Fare ships most of their baked goods nationwide.

But Alms + Fare doesn’t just make nutritious treats. They give back 10% of their profits to charities in their community focused on hunger alleviation and food education and accessibility. They donate primarily to Epic-Cure, an organization that provides organic produce and other groceries to those in need year-round, and the Grace Garden at Beam Thrift, who teach cooking skills to Title I students and veterans so that they may build up their resumes and feed their loved ones.

Teaching others about the impact of food on our bodies and lives, whether it’s a customer or a child in one of the programs they support is Apthorp’s true mission. In addition to the donation of their sales, they also volunteer their time in order to offer community cooking classes. “We will either go into the Boys & Girls Club or a local community space and host a cooking class for the kids to both bring a meal home, and to go home with the knowledge and skills on how to cook a healthy meal,” she says.

They also offer workshops onsite for anyone who wants to learn more, as well as sharing recipes and education on ingredient swaps around the shop and on their blog. “We like to focus on ‘swaps’ instead of overhauling a diet completely,” says Apthorp. “This way, people can slowly swap what they are already consuming it doesn’t have to happen overnight, just slowly but surely.” In a recent post called “Simple Swaps,” Alms + Fare shares that instead of using refined white sugar, they use honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar and explains that these alternatives contain minerals, fibers, and antioxidants.

The most rewarding part of operating Alms + Fare has been how connected Apthorp feels to her community. She has enjoyed curating a space where people can gather for a treat and a cup of coffee. It was always her goal to provide a place where people could feel comfortable. This year, Alms + Fare is working toward building a wholesale business, expanding on their education efforts through more posts, videos, and events, and even laying the groundwork for another location.

With Alms + Fare, Christine Apthorp is proving that big change really does begin at the grassroots level, and sometimes with just one treat and cup of coffee at a time.