SACO — With Halloween already come and gone, local bakeries are starting to prepare and roll out their holiday menus of treats for Thanksgiving.

Fernleaf Bakery and Coffee House in Saco and Reilly’s Bakery in Biddeford are both taking reservations for handmade goodies to be served for the Thanksgiving holiday. On top of what each bakery makes daily, they’re adding extra special items to their menues just for the approaching holiday.

What seems to be a local favorite above all is pork pie and both Reilly’s and Fernleaf offer their own versions of the savory creation.

Elizabeth Hussey, co-owner of Reilly’s with her husband, Kevin, said that the pork pie has been a staple and a favorite for the bakery each holiday season.

“The biggest thing on Thanksgiving is pork pies,” Hussey said.

Irene Lim, co-owner of Fernleaf with her husband, Thys Geldenhuys, said that after receiving numerous requests from locals, they started making pork pie as it is a very traditional item in this area to have around the holidays.

Whether their bakery has been open since 1910, like Reilly’s, or just since May 2011, like Fernleaf, what drives these two bakeries are their sense of tradition.

Hussey said that she’s been working in the family-owned bakery for about 29 years and that the goods they make have been a part of the baking tradition there for years.

“There’s definitely a list of things I’ll never stop making,” Hussey said.

As for Lim, she has some of her own recipes she’s created and kept from all the way back to her high school years.

“I have a long history with baking,” Lim said.

Over time, baking had gone from a hobby to a business for Lim, a former software engineer who is now working on getting her bakery ready for the holiday rush of customers.

Some of the baked items that are offered daily at Reilly’s are loaves of bread, doughnuts, bismarcks, custom-made cakes and more. They offer these items along with a variety of rolls, a couple selections of platters and pies including pumpkin, apple, blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, mince, chocolate cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue and of course, pork pie.

The full seasonal menu is available to view on their Facebook page and they are already taking orders for the week of Thanksgiving.

Hussey said that their expected cut-off time to place orders will be the Monday, Nov. 19,  before Thanksgiving. Though there’s a lot of work to put into preparing for the busy holiday season, Hussey couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“This has always been my calling,” she said.

Reilly’s will conduct normal business hours up until the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday Nov. 21, when hours will be 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thereafter, they will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the day after.

Fernleaf Bakery will also offer items that are available on their daily menu along with special items made for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The regular menu includes breakfast pastries, such as their popular croissants, cupcakes, pies, cakes, quiches, sandwiches, soups and more,Lim said.

Fernleaf’s Thanksgiving menu will add dinner rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan bourbon pie, chocolate cream pie, the ever-popular pork pie and a selection of decadent dessert cakes that include some gluten-free options.

According to Lim, the importance of baking for her is about ensuring the wholesomeness of the product by using quality ingredients without a lot of extra additives.

“It’s not what’s in it, but what’s not in it,” Lim said.

Fernleaf will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21, to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and through the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

Their holiday menu is available to view on their Facebook page and they prefer to take special orders up until the Saturday before Thanksgiving on Nov. 17.

Reilly’s Bakery can be found at 232 Main St. in Biddeford. Their regular hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday, and Friday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and closed on Sunday. Their phone number is 283-3731.

Fernleaf Bakery is located at 20 Free St./20 Middle St. in Saco. Their regular hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and they are closed on Sunday. Their phone number is 286-3376.

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