The Food Whisperer: Do you know the muffin [wo]man?

Westford resident Pam Sulka once worked as the muffin baker at the Kimball Farm country store. She had often envisioned herself running her own place, and one day her longtime neighbor Ellen Harde made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. It was 2016 and Harde had just bought the 200-year-old building directly across the street from them. It housed the Wright & Fletcher general store from 1839 to 1947 and then changed hands over the years to become a convenience store, real estate office, and most recently a dress shop.

Harde asked Sulka if she would like to start a muffin shop in the space, and Sulka jumped at the opportunity. It would be called Muffins on Main. Sulka recounted those early days during a recent sit-down interview in her cozy shop, remembering how over the years more than one Westford resident expressed their own aspirations for the building. “I was the lucky one who got to do it,” she said.

Muffins on Main is in the Wright & Fletcher general store building in Westford. (Courtesy photo)

Together, Harde and Sulka undertook the restoration of the historic building. Before the shop even opened, they had high school students as well as adults come by and ask to work there. “They liked the vibe,” said Sulka. To this day all of her employees live locally, and many walk to work. There was a time when all Sulka had to do to get to work was cross the street; now she lives a mile a way. It’s still an easy commute, which comes in handy given the fact she arrives at 4:15 a.m. to start preparing the day’s muffins and scones. Everything is made from scratch, and what she doesn’t sell that day goes in the “baked yesterday” reduced-price bin. Since the shop is closed on Mondays so Sulka can have “one day not to think about muffins,” all Sunday leftovers go to a homeless shelter in Lowell.

Muffins on Main has a large local following, which is a welcome sight to Sulka. She said her favorite part of her job is meeting people, and she writes down customers’ names so she’ll remember them on their next visit. One customer told her he used to buy penny candy there decades ago when it was the old general store. “He remembers the men playing checkers around the pot-bellied stove,” she said.

Pam Sulka with her selection of muffins. (Courtesy photo)

The founders of Muffins on Main seem to have kept that feeling of community alive all these years later. It’s a bustling place—tables filled with parents and young children and friends engaged in lively conversation. Sulka pointed out various parts of the decor that hold special meaning to her. There’s the wooden counter made from an old silver maple tree of Harde’s that fell during a storm; a table that was found on the side of the road and refinished by Sulka; antique chairs discovered at yard sales; a coat rack made out of a piece of driftwood found by Harde. There’s an area of space called the West Wall where local artists display and sell their work. The artwork of a local school principal currently lines the wall.

Sulka bakes a variety of scrumptious muffins. Customer favorites include the French Breakfast, a nutmeg muffin brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon, and the Sal blueberry muffin named after the book “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey. Sulka keeps a copy on her in-store bookshelf and relishes when kids grab it and sit on their parent’s lap to read it together. Sulka also bakes multiple batches of scones each day. At one point, a 7-year-old customer named James suggested she make a blueberry-raspberry scone “with just a touch of lemon zest.” The recipe proved to be a hit and the James scone was born. James’ notoriety in town grew and he’s been known to sign autographs for other customers. “He’s a famous fourth-grader now,” she said.

If you decide to drop in to Muffins on Main, there are a few things you should know ahead of time. They don’t offer skim milk, just whole. “If you’re gonna have a cup of coffee then have a good cup of coffee,” Sulka said. You won’t find a microwave in the store. If customers ask for a warm muffin, Sulka grills them on her panini press. It’s also a nut-free establishment; Sulka started making her own cinnamon chips when she couldn’t find ones processed in a nut-free facility. They’re also Wi-Fi-free, by choice. “We like people to chat together,” she explained, “but we won’t kick you out if you find a hot spot.”