It’s surprising enough to find a European-style bakery tucked away on the Main Street of a small town like Woodstock—but customers are often even more shocked by the quality of the pastries at Flour & Water Co. “The biggest compliment we get is when a customer tells us it’s the best croissant or baguette they’ve had since being abroad,” says Meredith Norris, who co-owns the bakery with Chef Jacoby Dinges and cake decorator and consultant Paje Cross. A standout is their sourdough bread, which they bake fresh Thursday–Saturday—Norris says it consistently sells out. Their pain au chocolat and morning buns (croissant dough twisted with cinnamon, brown sugar, orange zest, and cardamom) also draw in plenty of locals as well as an increasing number of pastry-loving patrons from D.C. and beyond. FlourAndWaterCo.com



This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2025 issue.