Moms to Know Jenn Smurr

Moms to Know: Jen Smurr, Owner, Born + Bread Bakehouse, Lakeland

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When Jenn Smurr’s twin daughters turn 3 this month, their birthday candles may sit atop a Transcendent Chocolate Cake. Or maybe the girls will choose a Cinnamon Roll with Brown Butter Glaze or an Apple Fritter “Cruffin”. Delicious options abound when Mom is a renowned baker.

Smurr was born and bred in the Central Florida town of Auburndale and now owns Born + Bread Bakehouse in Lakeland. Over the last 11 years, she and her dedicated team have worked to create and perfect a menu that draws visitors and accolades, most recently as a Semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery.

Congratulations on being recognized by the James Beard Foundation. What does this mean to you?

Jen Smurr: This nod from our community and peers hit me in a way that reminded us of the value of growth and change and the hard work we as a team put in every day. We’re reminded in these moments that what makes us different is what also makes what we do challenging. KEEP IT UP B+B TEAM! Better together.

Tell us about how a visit to a quaint coffee shop in Belgium during a trip with your husband back in 2014 changed the course of your life and career.

Jen Smurr: My love for baking started on this trip and my mind was opened in this coffee shop. When I asked the owner where they got their bread and jam from, he looked at me like I had five eyes and said with confusion, “We make it.” This was the most common story as we continued to travel. Bread didn’t come off the back of a commercial food distributors truck; the jam wasn’t the same Smucker’s in a small packet sitting on tables at room temp for days. The light bulb in this area of food culture was now lit and could not be turned off.

Besides courage, what did it take to turn your love for baking into a successful bakery and restaurant?

Jen Smurr: Consistency. Humility. Willingness to fail and fail and fail again. Not only at the craft, but leadership, business and much more. This bakehouse journey has led me to digging into deeper aspects in all areas of my life.

How did having children change your work life?

Jen Smurr: Parenthood inevitably changes you as a human. It’s unexplainable in many ways. They’ve changed the way I look at our team members. They’ve changed the way I value the women who mother beside me on our team.

Baking is precise, exact, always correct. Motherhood is often the opposite. Which one is easier for you? How do you navigate doing both?

Jen Smurr: I find myself blessed to have the balance of both. Being a mom is easiest. They’re always very easily lovable; they’re mine. And, if I were to describe my parenting style, I’m very much, “We’re gonna learn today!” I want them to be confident and fearless as much as possible. If they’re doing something new and scary for the first time, I’ll be close enough to help if they need, but I find so much joy seeing them tackle life independently.

Share your advice for other women who have yet to discover their passion or who fear pursuing it the way you did. 

Jen Smurr: Passion is hard. It can live and die and rebirth. Finding something you can find fulfillment and purpose in can be beautiful. I would always recommend finding someone that you admire that’s taken the journey before. Ask them what it's like. Listen. Maybe dabble in it with them if they’ll allow.

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Originally published in the July 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.