Avon Bakery Employee Encounters Bear Stealing 60 Cupcakes

A bear broke into a bakery in Avon Wednesday morning, helped itself to 60 cupcakes and made a “bluff charge” toward an employee.

It happened at Taste By Spellbound on West Main Street in Avon.

The kitchen supervisor for the bakery said she was putting baked goods in a vehicle in the garage area at the back of the bakery Wednesday morning when she noticed the bear.

The cupcakes were on the seat of a vehicle they use to transport their products and she tried to close the door, but the bear made what wildlife officials call a “bluff charge.”

That’s when a bear puffs itself up to look bigger and will bound on its front paws toward a person, then stop short or veer off to one side, according to the National Park Service.

They said bluff charges are meant to scare or intimidate.

The kitchen supervisor ran inside to protect herself and the bear got into the sweet treats and ate 60 cupcakes.

Those cupcakes were supposed to be going to the Taste By Spellbound location in South Windsor and they had to delay opening because of the four-legged cupcake thief.

While the bear made a mess, it did not do any permanent damage.

Police said three officers responded to the bakery at about 8:20 a.m. By then, the bear was gone and no one was injured.

They notified the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

While it is common for Avon police to respond to calls about bears in April and May, this was a new one for them.

Avon police said the number of calls they have taken about bears has doubled since last year, but they have not reached the level they did in 2021.

Police warn that there are bears in the community and urge people to be aware of their surroundings.

If you have a bear sighting, you can report it to DEEP online here.  

Learn more about living in a community where bears are present here.