Busy Bee Bakery to Appear on Chronicle

Melrose-based Busy Bee Bakery and their boca negra and hand painted cookies will be featured during a food segment on Channel 5's Chronicle on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Your reader's choice for Melrose's best coffee looks like it has something going for it in the sweets department, too.  The Busy Bee Bakery will be featured as part of a segment on sweets during Chronicle Channel 5 News.  Both the bakery's boca negra - a flourless chocolate cake with white chocolate cream and fresh raspberry sauce - and hand-painted cookies will be featured.  The show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, just before Thanksgiving. 

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Busy Bee Bakery to Serve Special Dinner to Celebrate Julia Child's 100th Birthday

On Wednesday, Busy Bee Bakery owner Elin Agustsson will be cooking up one of Child's popular dishes: boeuf bourguignon.

Did you know that former television chef Julia Child turns 100 on Wednesday? There's at least one person who did: Elin Agustsson, owner of Busy Bee Bakery in Melrose. "I’ve been following Julia Child on tv since I was a young girl," wrote Agustsson in an email to Melrose Patch. "I remember learning how to de-bone a chicken watching her show! Julia taught me the basic techniques of cooking." To celebrate the special occasion, Agustsson is preparing to make five dinner specials that each serve two people.  "We are serving (Child's) famous boeuf bourguignon with a complimentary dessert—her delicious boca negra (flourless) chocolate cupcake (with raspberry sauce and white chocolate cream)," Agustsson wrote on the Busy Bee Bakery Facebook page…

• Photos (1)

'Best Of' Sandwich Winner: Busy Bee Bakery

The bakery received 27 percent of votes for the best sandwich place in Melrose.

In Melrose Patch's inaugural "Best of Patch" contest, 258 people voted for what they believed to be the best place in the city to get a sandwich.  And the winner is ... Busy Bee Bakery!  The bakery, coffee and tea shop received 71 votes (27 percent of the ballot) and several laudatory comments and reviews.  Owner Elin Agustsson, who runs the cafe with her husband, George Peterson, said in a phone interview that she was excited to have won the contest. Thomas Calvert, who makes all the sandwiches, she said, would be happy to hear the news.  And then the man himself got on the line.  Calvert said that because Busy Bee Bakery bakes loaves of bread and slices the fillings just for the day's menu, the caprese panini (which include homemade …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (3)

Letters to the Editor

Bakery Owner To City Hall: Do 'Rules Only Apply To Some?'

The owner of Busy Bee Bakery expresses disappointment that D'Amici's Bakery was allowed to open and operate without the proper paperwork approved.

To submit a letter to the editor, email editor Daniel DeMaina at danield@patch.com. Please include the street you live on in Melrose and a phone number for verification purposes. To the editor, As a resident and business owner here in Melrose I have to say that I was more than a little disappointed in Mayor (Rob) Dolan and the City of Melrose after reading the article "Melrose bakery opens without paperwork on file” by Jim Haddadin (Melrose Free Press). I had to have everything in order before being allowed to open, delaying my “Grand Opening” twice. To find out that D’Amici’s Bakery was not only allowed to open in non-compliance but was allowed to remain open un-penalized for sixteen days. Being seasoned bakery owners the Torretta’s …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Busy Bee Building Approved For Residential Use

The owner of 1-7 Hurd St., home of the Busy Bee Bakery, is looking to make renovations to his property for tenants.

It's home to the Busy Bee Bakery and for many years it was home to Melrose Hardware and General Store, but the property at 1-7 Hurd St. has struggled to attract additional commercial occupants. Property owner Todd Weaver has filed a zoning variance to change the use of the property from commercial to residential use. This would allow unused commercial space to be rented out to potential residents. "The property was in dire need of extensive upgrades," said attorney Robert Bell, Jr., who is representing Weaver on the matter. Bell said the use variance will help the owners bring the property into compliance. Weaver is planning to renovate the building in the coming months. Melrose Planning Board members voted unanimously to support the use …

• Photos (1)