If you’ve visited Perenn in Franklin, well, you’re more patient than the rest of us, because the lines outside the popular new bakery have been pretty epic. The good news is that now you’ve got another option to try the amazing pastries from Aubrey and Tyler O'Laskey, the husband-and-wife team of bakers who have graciously brought their talents to Middle Tennessee from Nevada.
They've opened a new location in Nashville at 2934 Sidco Drive, Suite 130, in what is known as the Oak Barrel Building. Originally the outpost was going to be known as Perenn Oak Hill, joining Perenn Franklin at 94 East Main St. and a handful of locations still thriving in Nevada. After a little geographical introspection and some raised eyebrows over exactly how far the tony enclave of Oak Hill actually stretches, they decided to just go with Perenn Bakery. I admire their honesty!
Tyler and Aubrey O'Laskey
Whatever you call it, the neighborhood is quite lucky to have them. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., starting today Perenn will offer coffee, tea and specialty espresso drinks, a variety of delicious and gorgeous pastries, sandwiches and salads for grab-and-go or via counter service for dining in. Seating is available for almost 50 patrons, on the front patio, downstairs or in the attractive mezzanine area that overlooks the production bakery below.
While the dining hours may be a bit limited, that production area will be buzzing most of the time, because you have to get up pretty early to get a head start on baking. Considering that Perenn’s flaky croissants are the result of a four-day process, production planning is an important part of the business, and their massive oven demands to be fed on the regular.
Speaking of that oven, it’s a marvel of cooking engineering. The multi-bay steam-injected oven had to be built on site and set into the cement floor of the kitchen. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon! Perenn needed this technology to keep up with the volume of production baking the team is already taking on, plus the prospect of expanding into yet another location soon.
The dough team efficiently makes the breads and rolls out the croissants so they can be transferred to the Franklin location for baking in situ or transferred to the Sidco oven for mass production. Another novel part of the operation is that Tyler and Aubrey have started to establish a regional grain sourcing program. Seeking to demonstrate the terroir of individual farms, they’re already sourcing wheat berries from Indiana and milling them in the bakery to ensure the freshest possible flour for their products. They’re also selling that flour in 5-pound bags for home use.
Perenn is investigating relationships with Tennessee producers like Caney Fork in Carthage and their Melrose neighbors Smokin’ Oaks so that they’ll be able to showcase how different farms and grains can create unique products, kind of like how a California chardonnay grape can be very different from the same varietal grown in France. It should make for some fascinating experimentation, while at the same time supporting local agriculture.
Even if you’re not as interested as I am in the nerdy details of the operation, you will probably be fascinated by the prospect of enjoying an iced latte flavored with herbes de Provence and a chocolate-filled croissant for breakfast. Or maybe just grab the perfect baguette to accompany your dinner tonight. Welcome to the neighborhood, Perenn!
