LeJeune’s Bakery has filled the Main Street of Jeanerette, Louisiana, with the comforting smell of fresh-baked bread for more than a century, and its handmade tradition shows no signs of slowing. This fifth-generation family bakery continues to follow the same simple, time-tested process that began in 1884 — mixing dough before dawn, rolling each piece by hand, and filling the town with the warm aroma of French bread as the sun comes up. This story is from July, 2015, and is one of my favorites from the Heart of Louisiana.
Baking bread at Lejeune’s bakery in jeanerette
a fifth-generation tradition at lejeune’s
Owner Matt LeJeune proudly traces the bakery’s lineage back to its beginnings. “I’m the fifth generation to run it,” he explains, noting how the business passed through nephews and sons before reaching him. Matt started young — helping in the bakery at age seven — and remembers early jobs fondly. “I used to push the pedal on a dough break years ago,” he says with a smile.
Despite the arrival of large supermarkets decades ago, the family refused to modernize their process or compromise quality. Matt believes that machines simply can’t replicate the character of a handmade loaf. “There’s an easier way to do it… but the dough’s not the same,” he says. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
Matt’s mother, Loretta LeJeune, was the long-time business manager of the bakery. She died in October, 2023 at the age of 85.
From horse-and-buggy deliveries in the early 1900s to its cherished place on today’s Main Street, LeJeune’s Bakery remains a steadfast piece of Jeanerette history, still hoping a sixth generation will carry the tradition forward.
order online from Lejeune’s in Jeanerette
To learn more about Lejeune’s Bakery and the baked goods available today, check out the company’s website – lejeunesbakery.com. LeJeune’s is located at 1510 Main Street, Jeanerette, LA. Phone: (337) 276-5690.
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