The apprenticeship program at Orchard Hill is a 13-month residential program, best suited to those pursuing professional bread baking as a career. Apprentices progress through working in all aspects of bread production, from packaging and organizing final product for delivery, to mixing dough, scaling ingredients, shaping loaves and baking in our wood-fired oven. Apprentices learn to work with a variety of bakery equipment and doughs and leave with a solid understanding of fermentation, dough development, shaping and baking.

Apprentices are an important part of the production team at Orchard Hill Breadworks and take on increasing amounts of responsibility as their time here goes on.  We believe there is significant value to the learning opportunity we offer, and we strive to strike a fair balance in the exchange of labor and knowledge. We are a functioning bakery, not a culinary school, so this is an immersion-based program — much of the learning comes through a process of instruction, followed by supported, and then independent practice. Our long-term staff provides regular feedback, and there are always opportunities for questions and deeper exploration as apprentices work with a given skill or technique. Apprentices spend around 40 hours per week (hours are longer during our busiest months) working in the bakery on either 5 or 6 days of the week. 

Room and board are included for the duration of the apprenticeship, as well as a $12,000 stipend for personal expenses, which is paid out bi-weekly over the course of the program. Apprentices live in an apartment above the bakery, which is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home. All utilities are included, and laundry is available on-site. Board includes everything we stock in the bakery, from milk, eggs, cheese, to spices, oils, vinegars and other pantry items. We have a dedicated garden space available to apprentices as well for those interested in growing some of their own food.  Work-trade opportunities for meat or vegetables are also sometimes available through the neighboring farm.  

We are located about 20 minutes from the nearest town/shopping center, so access to personal transportation is ideal. Here in rural southwestern New Hampshire we have abundant access to hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and some truly magnificent swimming holes. We are also an hour from the Green Mountains in Vermont, 2 hours from the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and about 2.5 hours from Burlington, VT, Boston, MA, Providence, RI, New Haven, CT and Portland, ME. 

There is one apprenticeship opening every 4 months, beginning January 1, May 1 and September 1.  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

If you’d like to request an application, or if you have specific questions about the program, please email apprenticeship@orchardhillbreadworks.com.