Marti Payseur (pictured) bakes the sweet treats found at Thistle’s Summit. The bakery specializes in creating vegan and gluten-free snacks. Photos: Duane Tinkey.
Writer: Karla Walsh
Scroll through the images Marti Payseur posts on the account for her bakery, Thistle’s Summit, and you’ll spy clouds of cream stuffed between two warmly spiced oatmeal cookies. Ooey-gooey, frosting-crowned cinnamon rolls. A sweet-salty peanut butter, pretzel and chocolate bar cookie that’s pretty much all of our (OK, at least my!) childhood dreams come true.
By the looks—and, I can confirm, the taste—of Payseur’s creations, you’d never guess that they’re vegan and almost always gluten-free. And now you have more opportunities than ever to sample them . Previously based out of Kitchen Spaces and available at select farm stands, coffee shops and via pre-orders only, Thistle’s Summit has opened a brick-and-mortar shop at 340 S.W. Fifth St., #122. Payseur shares the space with her astrology-pro partner, Ash Bruxvoort. (Learn more about the origins of Thistle’s Summit and how Ash was a major inspiration in our October 2021 story about the brand.)
The bakery is open Thursday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Payseur expects to add more hours later on.
“Everyone’s favorites [are] still on the menu—oatmeal cream pies, bar cookies, cinnamon rolls and other cream-filled cookies—but I am excited to expand,” Payseur says. One of her favorite menu additions is the “Zodicake, or mini snack cakes that are inspired by astrological signs. Each season will have new flavors and decorations inspired by the current sign. It is a nice way for the baking to tie into the magic that Ash creates.”
Thistle’s Summit will also sell vegan and gluten-free snacks from other local and national artisans, with an aim to be “a one-stop shop for people with dietary restrictions, allergies or just really good taste in snacks,” Payseur says. “We are also very much looking forward to being a safe space for the queer community, a place where people can be their whole selves, regardless of how they eat or who they love.”
Find more information on Thistle’s Summit’s website and Instagram @thistlessummit, and follow Ash on Instagram at @ashgravity.
