Lexington Bakes’ mission to deliver transparency and traceability

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Lexington Bakes’ mission to deliver transparency and traceability

4 Jul 2025

Maddie Lambert

Maddie Lambert is a copywriter and editor from Joplin, MO. She graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English – literary studies. When she’s not poring over the magazine or lost in the pages of a new novel, you can find Maddie exploring her local bookstores, spending time with her husband, or sharing her latest literary discoveries with fellow book enthusiasts.

KANSAS CITY, MO — In February 2022, Lexington Bakes (LXB) released its limited-edition trademarked Raspberry Velvet brownie for Valentine’s Day. The take on a red velvet brownie was developed using jam made from Skagit Valley heirloom raspberries instead of food coloring. The product sold out in its first two weeks, and today, Raspberry Velvet is LXB’s most anticipated brownie flavor of the year, with consistent sellouts during the two-week pre-sale.

Building a diverse product portfolio — with an ambition to continuously innovate — LXB formulated limited-edition recipes of its brownies and cookies in partnership with other artisan brands. The seasonal brownie lineup includes two flavors: Pumpkin Spice Espresso, made with Equator Coffees’ Jaguar Espresso, and Raspberry Velvet. The seasonal cookie offerings include Peanut Butter Chip, Maple Pecan Chip and Snickerdoodle Tahini, using French Squirrel Peanut Butter, Raaka Maple Dark Baking Chocolate, and Seed + Mill Organic Tahini, respectively.

Offering transparency and traceability, LXB showcases those specific partner brands on its packaging to ensure consumers can trace every ingredient to its origin and ethical sourcing.

Building (and funding) the brand

While growing the business, Lex Evan, LXB’s founder and CEO, bootstrapped it for the first year and took out an SBA loan for $100,000 and matched it with another $100,000 of his own. Today, he is in the first round of raising capital with investors. The funds will be used for co-manufacturing equipment and to build a stock of raw ingredients.

Finding a co-manufacturer that not only understood but also respected LXB’s production process proved to be easier said than done. To keep the dense, fudgy taste and texture, the batter must stay warm before entering the oven. This factor created an obstacle when manufacturing at scale. The initial days of co-man collaboration consisted of multiple trials to pinpoint the right time and temperature.

“The most challenging thing is finding the right manufacturer and making sure they have the right equipment because every little detail matters.” — Lex Evan | founder and CEO | Lexington Bakes

Looking back, if Evan had to do it over again, he probably would have sourced a co-manufacturer sooner than 2023 rather than starting up his own production in a commercial kitchen.

“I wish I would have known to go to a co-manufacturer from the very beginning,” Evan shared. “The most challenging thing is finding the right manufacturer and making sure they have the right equipment because every little detail matters. I’m charging for premium ingredients but also a premium experience. If any part of that experience is subpar, the brand doesn’t live up to the promise.”

Production output averages about 2,000 units over two eight-hour shifts in an environmentally conscious operation. While some sustainable production efforts might seem unorthodox, Evan does everything with purpose. For example, not only do the brownies and blondies come in the traditional square format, but so do the cookies, and for good reason.

“Square cookies take up less energy, water and air space for storage,” Evan explained. “Inherently, they’re more eco-friendly because of their shape. We can maximize how much product can fit on a pallet, which eliminates emissions and uses less energy overall.”

As part of its mission to deliver quality in all aspects — from branded packaging to uncompromised taste — LXB is exploring new flowwrapper technology that can ensure perfectly flat seams with transparent packaging material.

“The reason our packaging is transparent is I don’t want people to see this as just another CPG brand,” he said. “I want them to think fresh-baked. The package is clear because that’s how they would see it in a dessert case in a bake shop.”

While LXB products are sold in certain major retail outlets, as well as local shops and pop-up markets throughout the country, expansion is a top priority for the brand. To grow its reach — and product portfolio — LXB recently added Chilled Oat Bars in Maple Brown Butter and Raspberry Crumble flavors. Marketed as “oatmeal on the go,” the brand is breaking into the breakfast and snacking markets while staying true to its mission of being real, organic and fair.

LXB was founded on high expectations, and it plans to maintain its growth by delivering on every single one. From transparent packaging to 100% ingredient traceability, this better-for-everyone brand is poised to flourish in any “treat yo’ self” market.

This story has been adapted from the April | Q2 2025 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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