Bowerbird Bakeshop

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United States
Charlottesville, VA
Bowerbird Bakeshop

A scratch-made bakery in Charlottesville, VA, specializing in eclectic, European-inspired pastries ma

***MASK REQUIRED for those unvaccinated please***
Always accepting orders for weddings, events, and special occasions*! Email to inquire about availability, options, flavors, and rates. Pastry Chef Earl Vallery is brings his 14 years of experience to his adopted home of Charlottesville, Virginia. He has experience both in and out of the kitchen, from managing at Tecolote Farm and teaching at the L

e Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, TX to most recently helping launch the successful bakery Whisk in Richmond. He has specialization in Viennoiserie, cake decorating, and all manner of French-inspired pastisserie.

***A Bowerbird, you say?***

Bowerbirds are an exceptional breed of bird from New Guinea and Australia that are renown for their bright blue eyes and their sculptural nests, which are decorated with arrangements of natural and man-made objects collected and assembled by the male bird. As with the bowerbird, it is our goal to create and curate a collection of fine handmade pastries that are interesting to the foodie, yet accessible to everyone. Our shop will seek to supplement these delicious pastries with a side of fantastic espresso and coffee drinks, locally-produced products, interesting artifacts, and, frankly, whatever catches our eye.

12/15/2023

Hey, friends!
We are exhausted. It's been wild since we announced closing and I can easily say that we've left nothing on the table these past six weeks, especially this week. We SOOOOO appreciate the outpouring of support and kind messages we've received! It's been nothing short of incredible and so very moving!
Tomorrow will be the biggest bake I've ever done in our space EVER. Most things will be ready at 8am, but other things will likely continue to come out as the morning progresses. Things we are low on will be available in shop only.
✨No real rules tomorrow, except:
be kind,
be patient,
CHECK YOUR ORDER BEFORE YOU LEAVE,
and please no egregious hoarding of any particular items (those orders will be amended to something more reasonable)✨ Most everyone has been great about this, thankfully!
Oh, and no sandwiches tomorrow. We tried, but we just couldn't get there on production. 🥲
Thanks, y'all. Talk soon!

12/01/2023

Hey, friends! 👋🏼
I haven't posted lately cause we can hardly handle the business we've got without the help of promoting or highlighting anything. Busy days are here as we get closer to the finish line! Know that we're busting butt literally every day to keep up with demand. Anyhoo, we're back this weekend with a full deck:
Macarons: A good amount and a good assortment going into Saturday! Peppermint Chocolate ganache; Peaches & Cream; Maple White Chocolate; Carrot Cake (NOT GF); Passion Fruit Coconut; and Earl Grey Vanilla
Savory Galettes w/ salami, artichoke hearts, and herbed cream cheese in our Parmesan cornmeal crust
Plus all the other lovelies: croissants, cookies, muffins, more cookies, cardi rolls, cinnies, breakfast sammies, etc.
3 Saturdays/ 2 Sundays left. See you 8-2 this weekend! Be safe! Be well!

11/11/2023

We're back tomorrow! We've worked really hard to rebuild inventory after the crush of last weekend. Demand is exceedingly high, so I'd STRONGLY recommend checking online and/or ordering online if there's something you definitely need to have. The earlier the better as we're just the little people baking our butts off! Tomorrow:
Macarons: Nutella w/ Raspberry Jam; Pumpkin Maple; Caramel Pineapple; Thai Tea; Mint Mocha; and, Bourbon Pecan
Savory Galettes w/ cream cheese, onion, mushroom, spinach, and parmesan
Molasses Sandwich Cookies
Hypothetically more Carrot Cake muffins
Plus all the other too much to list things. Croissants, cinnies, cookie faves, brekkie Sammie's, etc etc. Also to note: WE ARE OUT OF TAKE & BAKE CINNIES UNTIL NEXT WEEK. Also, we prolly can't answer the phone during peak rush hours. There's a lot going on these days.
Thanks! Be safe! Be well, friends!

10/31/2023

Hi, friends! This is one of those dreaded posts that you hate to see. I'm here to let you know that Bowerbird will be closing the shop at the end of the year.
The business is doing well and has always done well since our inception, thanks, of course, to you. I believe in the seasonality of life and this feels like a good, positive change. Next year will be my 20th year in the pastry world and as our lease comes up for renewal, it feels like an appropriate time to step back. I've been honored to have spent the last two decades making food to help celebrate literally countless weddings, birthdays, weekends, anniversaries, holidays, and more. Now, having my own family with 2 young children at home, I want to celebrate those things with them. I would say, on top of that, signing a lease in January 2020 and opening and running the shop during the pandemic was a huge source of stress and anxiety for me on many different levels. I'm SO incredibly proud of how we've persevered and come out the other side, but I am spent.
So, let me say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of the love, support, and patronage over the years. I can't express my gratitude enough to have gotten to participate in and serve this community for 6 great years! I love you and I thank you, Charlottesville!
THE GOOD NEWS: We've got plans to stay open normal days/hours for the next 6 weeks, with our ultimate final date open being Saturday, 12/16. We are letting you know about our closing now as we wanted to give you all plenty of time to swing by and get your pastry fix before we close our doors. No more special orders or classes through the end of the year, but look for more info from us in the next few weeks, including some fun December special things.
Thank you, friends! Be safe! Be well!
Bye for now.
~Earl

10/27/2023

Friends! This month we've hit our SIXTH year in existence with much gratitude and little fanfare. Thank you SO MUCH for all the love, support, and patronage over the years! Now, it's Halloween, so let's do the thing:
French macarons: keeping with tradition, we've got a few candy bar interpretations: Snickers; Almond Joy; and Reese's Cups! Also, Spiced Orange; Peach Brown Sugar; and, Apple Pie (not gf)
Spoopy Galettes return with carved Apple Skulls roasted on Maple Cream Cheese in our pecan crust. Choose the fellow that speaks to you!
Pain Halloumi w/ Halloumi cheese, pickled jalapeños, and za'atar on croissant dough (sat only)
The Jammin Goat sandwich retires to make way for the seasonal A. Brie C.
Plus all your normal faves! See you 8-2 both days this weekend! Thanks, friends! Be safe! Be well!

10/18/2023

⚠️Reminder that we are CLOSED THIS WEEK cause of life stuff. We'll be back starting next Thursday, 10/26, with our Halloween themed weekend. Have a lovely week, friends!

09/29/2023

🌟✨Mid Autumn Festival is here!✨🌟 We've worked really hard to have a huge number of special offerings this weekend! SO to the hard working and talented for bringing this massive vision to fruition! Here we go, there's a lot:
Macarons: Black Sesame Cocoa; Matcha Buttercream w/ Red Bean Paste; Coconut Ube Halaya; Calamari; and, Mango Pandan
Chinese Chive & Cheddar Nest Egg Savory Muffin
Red Bean Brioche Knot
Gochujang Cheddar Scallion Scone
Lychee Panna Cotta w/ Peach Compote
Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake w/ Mango Curd
Black Bean & Chinese Sausage Focaccia
Pecan Crust Galettes w/ Blackberries & Lychee
Plus all of the standard favorites and more! Full descriptions of items on our online Toast portal. ORDER ONLINE EARLY IF YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING and pickup anytime before we close.
Bonus: a pic of a tiny baby's first visit to the bakery! See you this weekend, friends! 8am-2pm. Be safe! Be well!

09/22/2023

I'm back! I'm tired! I'm ready to sell those pastries! Back to normal this weekend, with SANDWICHES BACK ON THE MENU. Thanks for your understanding last weekend when I was out. So, here's the plan:
Macarons: Almond Cherry; Passion Fruit Prickly Pear; Rosewater Lemon; PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte for those that do not partake); and, Peach Brandy
Pecan Crust Galettes w/ Spiced Local Yellow Peaches & Cream Cheese
Chai Snickerdoodle cookies return! Plus, our famous Pumpkin Muffins & Maple Miso Scones! And all the breakfast sandwiches and pastry faves of normal times.
(Should I post more baby pics??)
Swing by for your rainy day needs, 8am-2pm. Be safe! Be well, friends!

09/15/2023

✨WEEKEND UPDATE✨
(Tldr: shop open, no sandwiches this weekend only)
Hey, it's Earl! We were blessed to welcome a healthy baby girl, Violet, into this world yesterday! Hooray!!
That means I won't be at the shop this weekend, obviously. The incredible (and incredibly small) Bowerbird team will be holding things down and will be open normal hours. The only change is that WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE BREAKFAST SANDWICHES THIS WEEKEND ONLY.
Thanks for understanding! They are crushing it, so swing by 8-2 for any of your normal pastry needs. Be safe, friends! Be well!

09/08/2023

🍂 Hey! The seasons change (kinda) and the seasonal items come out! Some real faves back this week! Here we go:
Our much beloved Pumpkin Muffin is back! Our special spice blend helps make these much more interesting than your average pumpkin spice shaker.
Maple Miso Scones also make their weekend return debut!
French macarons: Peach Brown Sugar; Cafe con Leche; Hibiscus Ginger Lemon; Raspberry Lemon; and, Spiced Cherry Orange
Savory galettes w/ sauce, salami, herbs, and parm in a cornmeal parmesan crust
Another batch of Chocolate Cinnamon Babka
Plus individual Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding and all the other delicious stuff I'm tired of typing! See you Saturday and Sunday 8-2 at the shop. Be safe! Be well! Thanks for having us, folks!

09/01/2023

🌞 If you're in town this weekend and require nice pastries, we'll be here! Here's the weekend plan:
Macarons: Blackberry Mint; Sour Cherry Almond; Earl Grey Chocolate Ganache; Vanilla St.Germaine; and Lavender Honey
Pecan-crusted galettes with local yellow peaches and cinnamon streusel
Chocolate Cinnamon Babka! 9 loaves, so get them early!
Plus breakfast sandwiches, all the cookie faves, cardamom knots, muffins, baguettes & sour dough, and bunches more! See y'all, 8-2 both days. Be safe! Be well!

08/25/2023

🌞🥵 We're here this weekend maximizing summer's fruit bounty while we still have it! Here's the plan:
SIX loaves of swirly chocolate cinnamon babka this week (pictured). While it lasts!
Macarons: Caramel Latte; Raspberry Yuzu; Fig Orange & Honey; Prickly Passion; Strawberry Basil; and, Lemon Sprinkle
Danish vol au vents w/ pistachio frangipane and ginger poached Asian pears from
Pecan-crust galettes with local yellow peaches and blackberries
(Gonna try this both days, don't get excited 🤞🏼) Vegan croissant rectangles w/ blackberry compote & cinnamon streusel
Plus all the other too much to list favorites! See you at the shop, guys! 8-2 Saturday & Sunday. Be safe! Be well!

Address

120 10th Street NW
Charlottesville, VA
22903

Telephone

(434) 202-8574

Website

http://bowerbirdbakeshop.com/

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