About Us

Shambala, a word associated with a Kingdom defined by purity and emblematic of both visionary and spiritual intent. This is the namesake of Shambala Farm and its Bakery and Bistro in Mount Vernon. Shambala Bakery is an evolution of their farm to fork journey at Shambala Permaculture Farm on Camano Island. Providing the community nutritional produce and organic edible plants in our nursery farm stand, we introduced our gluten free, NON GMO ancient grain breads to an enthusiastic reception. It was evident they could best serve nutritional needs both locally and regionally by providing their unique bread product dedicated to accommodating folks seeking allergen and GMO free breads and menu items. They bring the farm full circle in their Gluten Free Bistro, offering locally sourced, organic produce in their robust menu.

The Mount Vernon Bakery & Bistro grew from Shambala Permaculture Farm, which is as much a movement as it is a physical place on Camano Island, WA.

At Shambala Bakery your whole family can enjoy delicious options! Our expansive, allergen-smart bakery menu is dedicated to accommodating folks with variety in our scrumptious GF and Vegan breads and pastry recipes, that include our own fresh milled Ancient Grain Blends of millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth, quinoa and flax. They are nutritious and loaded with protein and fiber, yet comprise a moist, soft & stretchy, crust and crumb texture that surprises and delights. We distribute our products regionally from Bellingham to Seattle, so please see our outlets for product options close to you on our Outlets Page.

We serve our own signature fresh-roasted, organic Shambala Barista coffees with organic milks, and local Kombucha and gluten-free beers on tap. Enjoy fine foods in a casual boutique setting at Shambala Bakery & Bistro, in historic Downtown Mount Vernon. We bring our Shambala Farm on Camano Island full circle in offering our own Organic produce, plus other local farm products in our baked goods, Bistro offerings and catering menus.

Nancy Chase
Owner & Executive Chef

a group of people standing next to a sign a woman standing in front of a window posing for the camera a person talking on a cell phone

Nancy Chase comes from 35 years as a tour operator being focused on sustainability, event planning, conscientious hotel design while offering remote international adventures. The intention was to evolve sustainable destination practices socially, agriculturally, and ecologically both locally and abroad, that would change the world one low-impact hotel, tour operator, and restaurant at a time! Also being a teacher of Permaculture for many years, she focuses her attention to the interconnectedness of things, people and community. She has been a tenacious food-science geek since childhood turning kitchens inside out with mad experimentation creating robust and fulfilling recipes, using fresh ingredients to create best results.

Nancy and Nick’s Shambala Farm on the bucolic Camano Island grows most of the produce used in the bakery and menu,"We source local so you can too"! Enjoy luscious and eclectic fare including hand-crafted baked goods using their own locally milled blends which feature what are called ancient grains: Organic Millet, Teff, Quinoa, Amaranth, Sorghum and Flax.

As a Tourism & Hospitality Management teacher at NW Career & Technical Academy /Skagit Valley College, and certified Permaculture Design Consultant she can do lectures, consults and cooking classes on nutrition, gluten intolerance & lifestyle/cooking transitions. An officiant for low-impact weddings at Shambala Farm you can also have a wedding program fully hosted to include catering and flowers.

Food Trends: Green Eyes and Gluten Free Flavor Compounds on a Mission

This article was written in 2014 by Heidi Siegelbaum of Calyx, a local firm that connects the dots between natural resources and economic development issues.

"...defined by purity and emblematic of both visionary and spiritual intent..."

"Shambala; a word associated with a Kingdom defined by purity and emblematic of both visionary and spiritual intent. This is the namesake of Shambala Farm and its Shambala Bakery and Bistro in Mount Vernon.

Nancy Chase moves with spiraling energy, much like the interconnected world she lives in and shares with others. She sits still long enough for me to notice her deep green eyes, a metaphorical and explicit link to the green, vertical food world she inhabits.

I met Nancy a few years ago at a training session associated with a project called Where Cows Meet Clams. I didn’t know at that time that her life traces the same path from sea to soil, or clam to cow, a way to use the dinner table as a way to understand how things relate, defying conventional silo assumptions about the way the world works.

Having grown up in the waterfront village of Edmonds, Washington, Nancy spent most of her early years working on and visiting family farms, including her grandfathers’ connection with Orcas Island. She and Nick met in an odd twist through the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and together they battled their children’s allergies that revealed themselves as celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Whether suffering from celiac disease or not, gluten free is now big business, with estimated sales of gluten-free products exceeding $15 billion by 2016. As we face an unprecedented public health crisis of obesity and diabetes, many people are seeking a way to feel and look better without sacrificing taste. In a written smack down between bread devotees and gluten free advocates, the trend line is still up towards gluten free. A spate of books written about wheat and its substitutes has sparked some very interesting debates about nutrition, health and a return to DIY culture in the form of artisan cooking and baking.

Nancy has been a teacher of permaculture for many years and her attention to the interconnectedness of things, people and community underscores her every waking moment. Permaculture is a whole system landscape and food design in which nothing is wasted and where energy and nutrient flows are optimized. Whether feeding her stable of animals (which includes cows, their calves, horses, goats, chickens and ducks) or picking up reasonably priced restaurant equipment between Vancouver, B.C. and Olympia, she has a habit of connecting things.

"keeping more dollars circulating in Island and Skagit County communities"

Shambala Bakery is a local company which means money flows benefit the community in ways it might not with a non-local business, keeping more dollars circulating in Island and Skagit County communities.

Nancy and Nick’s farm on the bucolic Camano Island grows most of the vegetables used in the bakery and this supplemented by farmer friends at Leaky Dam Farm and the Puget Sound Food Hub. The HUB, in conjunction with the Northwest Ag Business Center, is developing regional food hubs which will help growers, eaters and the local economy. The hub is a partnership partnership between NABC, 21 Acres, Bow Hill Blueberries, and Cloud Mountain Farm Center.

Farm local, eat local, cook local and find your own personal Shambala with the Bakery’s robust, interesting, luscious and eclectic fare. The bakery features Shambala’s hand crafted baked goods, sourced from Maninis Gluten Free flours which feature what are called ancient grains: Organic Millet, Teff, Organic Quinoa, Certified Gluten Free Oats, Flax, Organic Amaranth, and Organic Sorghum.

"Health food” often gets a bad rap"

“Health food” often gets a bad rap because diners believe they will be consuming tasteless shreds of intestinal scouring, scorched earth beige foods. Ok, there are in fact some health foods like that out there. But Shambala’s food is highly seasoned, nutrient dense, gooey and satisfying. For anyone like myself who experienced adult onset food allergies, the opportunity to partake again of something you really crave—like pizza—is like getting a new lease on life. Unshackle yourself from what you thought gluten free would taste like and indulge at Shambala. You’ll be glad you did.

To see a hilarious smack down between kale and broccoli, take a peek here. At Shambala, you need not choose which one to support."

Growing Methods We fresh mill in Eastern Washington (closest certified GF blender) and we grow on our own Shambala Farm the ingredients for our baked goods, we are a NO TILL Organic Permaculture Farm on Camano Island, that supplies our Bakery & Bistro, which also serves as an event center.

Sustainable Practices with: Sustainable Connections Member, Eat Local First Member, Salmon Safe and Toward Zero Waste

A Chat with Shambala Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro...

Q: What services does your business offer and what makes your business stand out from the competition?
A: Shambala Bakery & Bistro is revolutionizing healthy eating by providing recipes with attention to allergen sensitivities. We make all our sauces and breads in house with vegan options. All items are soy and gluten free. Local produce relationships provide organic and non-GMO ingredients.

Q: What is one of your most popular offerings? How is it prepared?
A: One of the local favorites at the Bistro is our Shamburger, served on our fluffy and crusty Sunshine Bun, with all the fresh deluxe trimmings and with Tillamook cheddar. Our unique burger patty is made in-house and is so good you’ll never miss the wheat or the meat!

Q: What was the inspiration to start or run this business?
A: Shambala Bakery is an evolution of our farm-to-fork journey at Shambala Permaculture Farm on Camano Island. Providing the community nutritional produce and organic edible plants in our nursery farm stand, we introduced our gluten-free, ancient grain breads to an enthusiastic reception.

Q: What do you love most about your job?
A: We are getting people out again that have food-allergy concerns that have kept them home bound. Our diversified menu has something for everyone, helping them enjoy friends and family all dining together again!