Beyond Blessed Bakery:   Two bakers bringing great treats from one kitchen

    By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                             

When life upended in late 2019, Leslie Collier found refuge in her kitchen. A longtime devotee of keto and low-carb eating, she saw how few truly satisfying sweet options existed for people like her. She began experimenting one recipe at a time, selling small batches at farmers markets and festivals. Those late nights, and steady encouragement from customers became the foundation of Keto Delights, a homegrown brand now operating from a brick-and-mortar bakery in Lockhart.

     As the orders grew, Collier brought on help. Valerie, a recent high-school graduate with a knack for baking and cake decorating, joined to keep the pace and add creative flair. Then in November 2024, the shop gained a second pillar when Beth Harrington, known at local markets as “your sourdough dealer”, came aboard. 

      Harrington, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2014, had overhauled her diet and found both grounding and creativity in old-world breadmaking. She learned sourdough from her late mother-in-law and, by 2023, was selling loaves, cookies, and lemon cakes alongside handspun yarn and crochet work at regional markets.

    Together, Collier and Harrington now operate Beyond Blessed Bakery, an umbrella for two complementary brands under one roof: Keto Delights’ low-carb confections and Chronic Chaos, Harrington’s slow-fermented sourdough line. The partnership, they say, is about offering “the best of both worlds”, crafted with care, quality, and a dash of organized chaos.

     At Keto Delights, ingredient integrity is non-negotiable. Every treat is made with almond flour, and the team avoids seed oils. The aim, Collier says, is simple: indulgence that tastes great and feel-good products that deliver the pleasure of a bakery case without compromising dietary choices.

     Chronic Chaos leans into time and technique. Harrington’s breads, cookies, crackers, and kolaches, drawn from a family recipe, are built on slow fermentation for deep flavor and easier digestion. She uses King Arthur flour (U.S.-grown, non-GMO), keeps ingredient lists transparent, avoids seed oils, and goes organic whenever possible. “The best food starts with the best ingredients,” she says.

     The bakery’s momentum is inseparable from its hometown. Markets in Lockhart provided the earliest customer feedback, and a loyal base that still shows up rain or shine. “I’m basically powered by flour, caffeine, and small-town love,” Harrington jokes. The duo credits local shoppers not just for sales, but for shaping recipes, sparking collaborations, and keeping the atmosphere joyful.

    Like many small food businesses, Beyond Blessed Bakery navigates fluctuating ingredient costs and the unpredictability of outdoor market days. Still, marquee moments reaffirm the mission: participating in KetoCon Austin and adding new wholesale partners have been standout milestones.

     Today, Harrington’s sourdough and Collier’s keto cookies, bagels, and Dubai chocolate bars are available at Coffee Greeks in Bastrop and The Cornucopia in San Marcos, alongside their regular presence at area markets. Each new shelf placement, they say, is a reminder of how far a farmers-market table can go with community behind it.

Collier’s ambition is expansive: a manufacturing facility and Keto Delights products on store shelves nationwide. Growth, she emphasizes, will never come at the expense of the community roots that nurtured the brand.

     Harrington is focused on deepening regional reach and staying close to customers. You can find her every Saturday at the Farmers & Artisans Market of Lockhart, every Sunday at the Budaful Market, and on second Saturdays at the Buffalo Bazaar in Giddings. Wholesale placements now include Coffee Greeks in Bastrop, Beyond Blessed Bakery in Lockhart, and coming next, The Cornucopia in San Marcos.

     Beyond Blessed Bakery operates at 1100 State Park Rd., Suite 113, Lockhart (Park Plaza Shopping Center). Inside, shoppers will find two distinct lines sharing one oven: keto-friendly pastries and breads designed for low-carb lifestyles, and patiently fermented sourdoughs shaped by tradition. It’s a collaboration born of personal journeys, one sparked by a dietary shift, another by a health diagnosis, and sustained by a town that has turned customers into champions.