Comfort food in the Virginia Piedmont.

Welcome to Hayfields General Store in Little Washington—a market and counter service café named for the golden fields and rolled hay bales surrounding the town we call home. Twenty years ago, in the kitchen of

my farmhouse in next county, I created a nationally-acclaimed rural bakery. It launched two locations, shipped thousands of cakes nationwide each year, and inspired the rebirth and food renaissance of a forsaken Main Street. In that farmhouse, I wrote both The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook and the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook (Clarkson Potter/ Penguin Random House, 2022 and 2018). Now here’s my true passion coming to life in Washington, Virginia: comfort food and local products in a beloved village nestled against the Blue Ridge mountains, just nine miles from Shenandoah National Park. 

At Hayfields General Store, you’ll discover a thoughtfully-curated market stocked with farm-fresh locally-grown fruits and vegetables, breads, locally-raised meats, and condiments galore, including unique regional and national honeys, jam, syrups, olive oils, crackers, chips, salsas and more. Shelves are filled with a variety of locally-roasted Hayfields coffees, with last-minute dinner and entertaining items including pastas, sauces, cheeses, our own line of nuts and granola, and desserts. Our freezers and fridges feature local ice cream, cheeses, pates, salamis, sausages, our daily quiche, and our own pot pies and entrees—frozen and ready to bake at home.

Our casual counter-service café starts with excellent coffee, breakfast sandwiches and biscuits, and a daily selection of our own pastries. At lunch and throughout the day we'll have a tasty array of sandwiches, soups, salads, and our own cookies, brownies, pies and cakes, with local ice cream in the freezer. Best of all: we’ll offer online ordering for pickup orders. Eat inside or on our patio, or take it back to the office or your home or B&B.

We’ll be open daily from 7 am to 7 pm, and once a month we’ll have our Sunday Family Suppers: communal tables groaning with large platters and bowls of seasonal cooking served family-style to you and your neighbors. Lots ahead for all of us—we’re excited to be serving you soon. 

—Brian Noyes, proprietor and town resident

Follow our progress on Instagram @hayfieldslittlewashington

For your trek to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Old Rag, Mary’s Rock, Shenandoah National Park trails, and canoeing on the Shenandoah River, stock up on our granola, energy bars, water in reusable non-plastic containers, snacks, trail mix, peanuts, brownies, and cookies. Grab some sandwiches and chips for a picnic. Use our Wi-Fi to plan your journey. 

Our visitors’ guide features local shops and galleries, B&Bs, wineries, area hiking trails, river info, recreational activities and farm tours. Don’t miss our travel guides and supplies at our market. 

Thanks to Lancaster Mennonite School for this Shenandoah NP photo.