Farm to Fork Profile: The Story of Gaston’s Bakery and Mill
Mathieu Choux and his wife Angela at the retail space in Gaston’s Bakery and Mill
There are few breakfasts I enjoy as much as a warm pastry and a good cup of coffee. During my visit to the College of Idaho in Boise, I got to enjoy that small luxury thanks to a stop at Gaston’s Bakery and Mill, one of our Farm to Fork partners at the College of Idaho.
Gaston’s is a traditional French bakery, owned by Mathieu Choux, offering everything from sourdough loaves to croissants and pastries. The College of Idaho’s General Manager Nick Davis has had a long-standing relationship with Gaston’s, serving their pastries, French breads, and croissants at the café. Mathieu gave me an amazing tour and shared the story behind the bakery.
Mathieu first moved to Boise from Burgundy, France in 2001, bringing with him a love for traditional French baking. He opened Le Café de Paris in downtown Boise, where his fresh croissants and breads quickly gained popularity. In 2006, the café expanded, adding wholesale business, and eventually, Mathieu shifted his full focus to baking and expanding his wholesale business, opening Gaston’s in 2006. His passion has always been rooted in community and quality.
Mathieu believes that quality bread starts with quality ingredients, specifically flour. After heading home to France during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mathieu returned to Boise and was inspired to add a grain silo to begin milling his own flour. Since then, Gaston’s has slowly been replacing all the flour used in their French and sourdough loaves with their in-house flour. He hopes by 2026 to use nothing but their in-house flour for all baked goods, including pastries and croissants. Besides the improved quality and freshness, he’s heard from some customers with grain sensitivities that Gaston’s is the only bread they can eat without adverse effects.
After Mathieu showed me the grain silos and mill, we toured the huge mixing vats and fermentation station where the flour starts to turn sourdough. I saw what a sourdough bin looks like up close and how they’re stored to start developing the tangy and fermented flavor compounds. Then Mathieu and his team walked me through the delicate process of making croissants, including the lamination process, the careful rolling technique, and the final bake, followed by some delicious samples.
Croissant-shaping in action!
As I sampled a wonderful bear claw pastry, we chatted about the bakery’s growth and mission. Gaston’s has expanded far beyond its café roots, now serving restaurants and retailers across Idaho’s Treasure Valley and nationally through wholesale partners like Sur La Table. Mathieu stays grounded in the local community by donating leftover bread to food banks and participating in local food events whenever he can.
Looking ahead, he’s excited to continue refining traditional techniques while finding new ways to make artisan baking more accessible to everyone and expanding Gaston’s ability to mill their own flour. As for the name Gaston’s? Mathieu named the business after his grandfather as a tribute to his legacy and work, which Mathieu continues to this day.
Gaston’s is a perfect example of what makes Farm to Fork partnerships so important. When we support small businesses creating well-crafted local foods, we deepen our connection in our community, both on and off campus. “Contributing to local communities has always been a top priority for Gaston’s,” says Mathieu. We’re proud to share his vision.