Valhalla Bakery in St. Petersburg

Owner of our beloved Valhalla Bakery, Celine Duvoisin, has expanded the reach of her baked vegan goods recently by opening within the Baum Avenue Market in St. Petersburg.

Celine, who is well-known in Orlando for her vegan treats, as well as being at the forefront of the local doughnut craze, decided it was time to move beyond Orlando and into a new community within Florida.

St. Petersburg seemed like a natural fit. “The expansion to St. Pete has quickly felt like home. It has aspects that make it feel like a big city, while keeping a very local vibe”, stated Celine.

If you spend one weekend in St. Petersburg, you’ll quickly see Celine’s sentiments in real time. Two popular events were happening while I explored the city - an Indie Flea located by Green Bench Brewing, as well as Localtopia which is a hyper local outdoor festival featuring and celebrating exclusively locals from the area.

As I strolled up and down Central Avenue going from shop to shop, I was greeted warmly by everyone while locals let me pet all their dogs (oh so many pups). Central Avenue was bustling with happy locals excited about their city and it all felt distinctly Florida.

Celine’s new shared space gives you a front row view of all the action on Central Avenue from inside Baum Avenue Market.

When you visit you’ll find most of the vegan sweets you’ve grown accustom to finding here in Orlando, except for now there are no doughnuts. However, in true Celine fashion, she’s always creating buzz around a special product, and that has happened with her vegan “chick’un” biscuits. For now they are only available on the weekends, and the flavors rotate. I got to enjoy the honey mustard biscuit (no actual honey used) and I can assure you, it’s not just good “for a vegan substitute”. It stands alone as a solid menu item regardless of what your stance on meat is. She also graciously let me try another buzz-worthy item, her fried mac and cheese balls. Nothing about them tastes like vegan food. Locals were waiting outside before the market opened and quickly lined up for Valhalla. It was so much fun to see the same reaction I’ve witnessed her create in Orlando duplicate itself a hundred miles away from home.

The Baum Avenue Market, which also houses Mediterranean food from Avocado Valley and other wellness fresh fare from Serene, additionally shares an entrance into the popular coffee shop Intermezzo, so you can easily grab a latte to enjoy with your goods.

Every visit to St. Pete comes with new finds and tastes to enjoy, which I will feature later this week, but for now, schedule a trip to support Celine and find your own new favorites.

Baum Avenue Market is located at 1113 CENTRAL AVE. ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33705. Check their website for hours of operation for the different vendors.

This post is not sponsored, Celine is a friend and amazing human being that deserves all the love in the world. All images are property of LemonHearted Creative and should not be used in other digital or print publications without permission.