Issuu

F E B R UA RY 2 02 1

innovators

MAK E R S &

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Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

of Hampton

THE

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RECEIVE A

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

FEBRUARY 2021 PUBLISHER

Feather Wright | feather.wright@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Carpe Novum SEIZING THE NEW MAY SEEM ANTITHETICAL TO THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE, HOWEVER OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS THE LOCAL MAKERS AND INNOVATORS THAT ARE SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES - SOME IN RESPONSE TO 2020 - AND OTHERS THAT ARE BRINGING OLD TECHNIQUES AND TRADITIONS TO NEW MARKETS. Our featured article, Micro-Weddings Virginia, re-vamps the traditional wedding experience for a lighter and more fun experience that looks even better on the bottom line.

Joshua Wright | joshua.wright@lifestylepubs.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Rachel Burch AD DESIGNER

Matthew Endersbe L AYO UT DESIGNER

Kelsey Proctor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Justin Diaz, Alexandra Brooks, Sarah-Daye McDougall, Joshua Wright CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Gari-Ann Kia, Kellyn Wilson, Jim Tschetter

The local farm co-op, Mockingbird Farmstead, organically grows and delivers farm fresh produce weekly, throughout the months of May to September. The farmstead specializes in Southern staple crops such as squashes and tomatoes; improved farming techniques allow them to deliver micro-greens and lettuces throughout the dog days of summer as well as re-introducing native Virginia crops that have been lost to time. The farmstead recently partnered with Virginia Bread Company, a baking duo that specialized in sourdough breads as well as other baked goods and season treats. Look for their Toano bakery to open in the coming months.

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

And Indian Fields Tavern has big plans for its recently renovated event barn to

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

include a brewery, outdoor kitchen, and activities throughout the property to roam

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

about with a beer and burger in hand.

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

We excitedly lean into the opportunities 2021 has to offer and hope that through-

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

out the changes and challenges of the past months you capture the silver lining and seize the new! Here's to a life of opportunities! 514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

Feather Wright, Publisher

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

Proverbs 3:5-6 Williamsburg Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Williamsburg areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Williamsburg Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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INSIDE THE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2021

FEATURES 10 Indian Fields Tavern Inspired culinary destination

18 An Intimate Wedding Experience Six reasons a mirco-wedding might be for you

24 Mockingbird Farmstead: Growing great food means going back to our roots

18 24

32 Virginia Bread Company Q&A with the Co-Founders and Co-Bakers

10 DEPARTMENTS 4

Lifestyle Letter

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28 DIY 32 Local’s Choice

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DANCING WITH THE WILLIAMSBURG STARS 2021 Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars is a collaborative fundraiser benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula and Literacy for Life. This year, six teams, comprised of 24 local stars, have accepted the challenge to train with a professional dancer and produce a competitive dance that will stream for live audiences on March 6th. For more information, please visit williamsburgstars.com/.

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Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

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Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

INSPIRED CULINARY DESTINATION

INDIAN F I E LDS TAV E R N ARTICLE JOSHUA WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY GARI-ANN KIA

“WE WANT TO CREATE AN ADULT

food-and-beverage destinations. “We pulled

DISNEYLAND, A PLACE WHERE PEO-

up a very unassuming driveway and were

PLE CAN COME ENJOY FOOD, A BEER,

surprised to see the number of people visiting

AND ROAM AROUND THE DIFFERENT

Shirley Plantations’ Upper Shirley vineyards

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.” Pat and Debbie

and restaurant.” They decided to put together

Weller, owners of the Indian Fields Tavern,

a business plan and reignite the defunct

draw inspiration from their Pacific Northwest

Indian Fields Tavern.

roots when envisioning the eclectic gathering

In early 2017, the interior was renovated,

space along Virginia’s famous Route 5 Capital

including a brand-new kitchen, infused with

Trail, in Charles City County.

reclamation projects throughout the prop-

The owners drove by the old farmhouse

erty. The old farmhouse creaks underfoot as

restaurant while visiting family in Petersburg,

Capital Trail travelers saunter to the bar, the

Virginia. “We were traveling down Route 5

aged sturdiness of the architecture juxtaposes

and in the middle of the cornfields was this

the modern fare; roughhewn tabletops with

farmhouse and property.” Pat saw the vision;

antiqued bronze pipework legs dot the nooks

Debbie was a little skeptical, “I wondered if

of the interior and screened porch. There is

anyone would want to travel out this far for a

an easy gravity once you arrive that beckons

dining experience.” Debbie’s initial apprehen-

you stay awhile. The couple was inspired by

siveness soon abated once the couple visited

McMenamins, a regional chain of brewpubs

Shirley Plantation and saw the popularity of

in Oregon and Washington that specialize in CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

HOT SPOT (CONTINUED)

rehabilitation projects as part of the brewpub experience. “We wanted to use as much natural, reclaimed, and local material as possible to create little spaces within the larger space, so as people walked about the property, they will experience different activities and delights.” The menu received an upgrade, inspired by their Northwestern roots. The couple hired an executive chef from Portland, Oregon to establish their scratch-kitchen style menu and set the culinary operations in place. Many food items draw from Pat’s days spent as a commercial fisherman in the Bering Sea and Pacific Northwest waters. “Our menu blends Pacific fare with some Southern influences; importantly, we make sure to always have fresh wild-caught fish.” Wild Alaskan cod, ahi tuna, and wild sockeye salmon are menu staples, along with Southern specialties Carolina shrimp, fried chicken – battered in a deliciously delicate coating – and fried pickles and pimento dip for lighter appetites. Future growth includes a converted barn into an outdoor event space. Two silos will convert into outdoor food bars, restrooms, and beach style showers - in case some of the activities on the grounds require a quick rinse – a brewery, and a small house will host Airbnb rental units.

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

E CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

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ARTICLE ALEXANDRA BROOKS PHOTOGRAPHY JIM TSCHETTER

NEW BUILDER ENTERING THE WILLIAMSBURG MARKET

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

modern sophisticated design

Classic, elega nt w ith a h i nt of So - Ca l cha r m.

At tent ion to deta i l, r isk ta k i ng a nd cl ient relat ionsh ips a re at the foref ront of Mel rose Pa r t ners Desig ns mot ivat ion beh i nd thei r busi ness a nd what sets them apa r t f rom compet itors.

MELROSE PARTNERS DESIGNS KNOWS REMODELING.

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From renovation and architectural design, to interiors, high-

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end appliances and even staging, they are your one-stop shop

Achieving the old world look and feel in the kitchen, a Melrose

for home customization. A noteworthy enterprise showcasing

Partners Designs signature look is used: high gloss stained doors

their work, Melrose Partners Designs completely renovated a

and cabinets meet polished nickel oversized hardware. Dark

condominium in a historic building, The Warwick, in the pre-

walnut interiors and striking English ice box hinges and pulls

mier Gold Coast area of Chicago. Custom built and designed

were procured, along with oversized quartz countertops on both

from the condo’s interior “studs up”, the interior was com-

the center island and main counter space run; mirror polished

pletely remodeled and transformed into the contemporary and

stainless steel drawer fronts dress up the distressed hickory and

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insert doors on the main island. An added bonus: a 45 inch under-

Attention to detail, risk taking and client relationships are at

mounted sink with a hot and cold water dispenser. In order to

the forefront of Melrose Partners Designs motivation behind

achieve a grandiose feel for the space, a Cerused finished, 12 inch

their business and what sets them apart from competitors. This,

plank white oak, expanses the floor.

combined with the decades of experience, generates creative and unique spaces that boast modern sophistication.

One of Melrose Partners Designs most notable rooms, the woman’s sanctuary, also known as the primary bathroom, features a juxtapo-

As you enter this particular space, 1501 N State Parkway, unit 16C,

sition of Restoration Hardware’s masculine tones and an elegant yet

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nickel plumbing fixtures, all encompass this opulent interior space. CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

Distinctive Homes Require

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Mary McNulty, REALTOR® 757-570-4663 MaryMcNulty@HowardHanna.com

165 Ford’s Colony Drive•Williamsburg Ford’s Colony NEW CONSTRUCTION UNDER $600,000! The Davidson Plan from Eagle Construction is all about Main Level Living with Style. Open Floor Plan with lots of light and fabulous features. Great Room, Kitchen & Morning Room all flow together for ease of living and entertaining. Master Suite is a true retreat and private on one side and guest bedrooms on the other side. 3 beds•2.5 baths•2,930 sq ft

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312 Yorkshire Drive• Williamsburg

108 Machrie • Williamsburg

A large front porch and a covered balcony gives this five-bedroom home an impressive facade, while its interior details make it truly luxurious. An elegantly columned entry and two-story foyer leads into the large family room, which boasts custom paneling, trim details as well as a fireplace. A wall of tall windows in the family room overlooks a private wooded view.

Designed to resemble the Governor’s palace in Colonial Williamsburg but with every luxury you could want! A truly impeccably maintained home. The impressive formal dining room features 10 piece crown molding and wainscoting along with a butler’s pantry with sink and large single drawer dishwasher.

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an intimate wedd i n g experience

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

ARTICLE SARAH-DAYE MCDOUGALL | PHOTOGRAPHY GARY-ANN KIA

I N T I M AT E 18

SIX REASONS A MIRCO-WEDDING MIGHT BE FOR YOU

COUPLES IN WILLIAMSBURG AND SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE MANY REASONS WHETHER IT IS BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT INTO A BIG LAVISH EVENT, WEDDING PLANNING IS FAR TOO COMPLICATED AND TIME-CONSUMING, OR YOU ARE SAVING MONEY TO BUY A NEW HOME (WE WON’T MENTION THE C-WORD). For couples who want an intimate wedding, but with some of the touches

to spend more time with your closest friends and

of a traditional wedding day, Micro-Weddings

family. It is a day you share with other couples (at

Virginia may be for you!

different times) and share the cost of the decor,

Micro-Weddings Virginia was created in March

venue, and wedding day vendors. Sarah-Daye

of 2020 by two Williamsburg wedding profes-

designs and coordinates all the minute details

sionals; Gari-Ann Kia, Gari-Ann Kia Photography,

of the intimate affair, while Gari-Ann captures

and Sarah-Daye McDougall, Night and Daye

every precious moment. Their goal is to provide a

Events after seeing a particular need in the mar-

quality event, simplify the process, and allow you

ket. The company creates an intimate wedding

to spend your best day with your favorite people.

that retains the quality of a large wedding but has the simplicity of an elopement with a curated

Below are some reasons you may want to consider a micro-wedding:

experience. With 25-30 guests, a micro-wedding emphasizes quality over quantity and concen-

1. YOU STILL WANT PIECES OF A

trates on simplifying the process. This allows you

TRADITIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY AND COCKTAIL RECEPTION. A micro-wedding consists of many of the traditional wedding details including a short ceremony, a cocktail reception, and portrait photography. However, everything is done more intimately. For instance, your ceremony still includes your dad or loved one escorting you down the aisle and writing your vows, while your cocktail reception embraces toasts, a first dance, and cutting of the cake. All of the traditional elements! 2. YOU WANT AN INTIMATE AFFAIR WHILE HAVING YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY BY YOUR SIDE. With between 25-30 guests, a micro-wedding allows you to spend quality time with your closest friends and family. You want the focus to be on the love between you and your partner while celebrating with loved ones.

CONTINUED >

WEDDING

TO WANT A MORE INTIMATE WEDDING —

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

AN INTIMATE WEDDING EXPERIENCE (CONTINUED)

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

3. YOU JUST WANT TO SHOW UP! The fact that you only need to bring three things to your wedding — you and your guests, wedding rings, and your marriage license — is the best part of a micro-wedding! Our all-inclusive micro-weddings include curated design planning and coordination, venue, florals, officiant, and photographer. Above all, the goal is to make the process as simple, stress-free, and easy as possible. 4. YOU SEEK A GORGEOUS WEDDING: VENUE, DESIGN, DECOR. Having a micro-wedding doesn’t mean you have to give up having your wedding at a gorgeous venue or relinquish the design and decor of your dreams. You can still have all of that! The goal of a micro-wedding is to put quality over quantity. By sharing the cost of the decor, venue, and wedding day vendors with other couples, luxury touches are well within reach. 5. YOU WANT FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR BUDGET TO CONCENTRATE ON SPECIAL DETAILS. By having a micro-wedding, you have the flexibility in your budget to splurge on the details. Take advantage of the opportunity to personalize where you can and customize your experience that extends beyond the wedding. Have your heart set on your dream dress, those amazing shoes, or that heirloom jewelry? Most importantly, having a micro-wedding means that you can enhance your experience and create additional memories. 6. YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE ALL WEEKEND. One of the greatest advantages to a micro-wedding is that it becomes an integral part of a bigger wedding weekend — a weekend in which you can do anything! Your micro-wedding is approximately two-hours, allowing the flexibility to plan other events. Now that you’re spending the weekend with your closest friends and family, you have the opportunity to treat them to a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant in Richmond, go explore the Smoky Mountains, or maybe even enjoy the roller coasters at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. This weekend is totally up to you!

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

AN INTIMATE WEDDING EXPERIENCE (CONTINUED)

Micro -wedd i n g ca n a lso i n c l u d e g u e s t s t h a t c a n’ t b e p r e s e n t w i t h a “ (m i c r o) wedd i n g” i n a box:

ANNOUNCEMENT With a cap on your guest count, you may want to include folks even though they can't be physically present for your special day. A great place to start is with an announcement. Consider including a photo from your engagement session with a link to your wedding website for more information.

SET UP A ZOOM LINK

INTE R AC TIVE

Take it one step further and include a zoom link

Let your virtual guests join the action from afar by

with your announcement so they can share the day

including interactive pieces. For example, send a

virtually! You may want to consider upgrading to the

confetti popper for your first kiss, a sweet treat for

paid version for a longer time limit (the free version

your cake cutting, and a mini bottle of sparkling cider

stops at 40 minutes). The MWV team will ensure your

(sorry, you can't mail alcohol!) for your toasts, and

virtual guests are included in everything from the

even a pre-stamped postcard so they can experience

processional to your cake cutting and toasts!

signing the guest book.

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

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Mockingbird Farmstead GROWING GREAT FOOD MEANS GOING BACK TO OUR ROOTS

EARLY FEBRUARY, SEVEN YEARS AGO, MY WIFE AND I ARE GROCERY SHOPPING – I PICK UP A BLISTER PACK OF ORGANIC ARUGULA FROM CALIFORNIA. I wonder to myself: “Is this really the best we can do?” We are blessed in this region with long growing seasons. This land has given its bounty to support First Peoples for thousands of years and on through the Colonial period to today. Myriad local farms continually produce incredible food for our region. Some for generations, some more recent; each of them exceptional and sustainable producers – another blessing. I come from a growing tradition too, from gardeners, and from families and cultures that embrace growing food as both pastime and sustenance. From my grandfather’s Victory Garden, which remained in cultivation for half a century, to my grandmother, mother, and father, whose large vegetable and flower gardens I was fortunate enough to enjoy growing up. With all of this in mind, surely I’d have something to contribute to my arugula question. Surely (naively), I thought, I could do better than a plastic blister pack of mostly air that traveled 3,000 miles and cost $7 – at least for my own family, in my garden. Moreover, I thought, whatever happened to tomatoes? I remember my grandfather’s tomato sandwiches CONTINUED >

ARTICLE JUSTIN DIAZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MOCKINGBIRD FARMSTEAD 24

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

"We love food and we eat the food that we grow. We k now that food can be expressions of love and fam i ly and com mu n ity, and we grow w ith that k nowledge close to ou r hearts."

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

EAT LOCAL (CONTINUED)

growing up, and then somewhere after he stopped gardening, fresh tomatoes fade from memory and significance. We are food people in my family. Food is comfort, it’s a gift, it’s gratitude, celebration, and it’s Love. That same weekend, I came home with lumber strapped to the roof of our station wagon and built too many raised beds taking up too much space in our backyard. After all, being food people, if all else failed we’d at least have great herb gardens. So I planted arugula, a smattering of herbs, and eleven different indeterminate heirloom tomato varieties. I also learned my first lesson at that time: that’s too many tomatoes. The raised beds chugged along happily, drowning us in more tomatoes than we could ever possibly use or give away. But they were the best tomatoes I had eaten since those last tomato sandwiches I shared with my grandfather - though I may have been biased. The next summer, flush with more amazing (though overall fewer) tomatoes, we attended a 4th of July party. We brought tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad, and we were excited by the quality of avocado we were able to find. It was wonderful, and being the food people we are, we were excited to share it with our friends. When a guest asked who brought our salad, I prepared for a riveting conversation about the quality of the avocado we found and where we bought it. After claiming our salad, I was instead met with “These may be the best tomatoes I’ve ever had.” With that, the rest is history. We found a small patch of unused land and got to work. I decided upon a few basic operational tenets for how we would pursue our mission: sharing that home-garden flavor with our friends, family, and community. We needed to look to the backyard garden, to the way things used to taste and start there. When we need direction, that’s where we go. Our love of food, of family, and of sharing that love guide us every step of the way. Our home gardens were compost and manure-based, and so is Mockingbird Farmstead. I’m sure my grandfather used a sprinkle

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

or two of common commercial fertilizers and pesticides from time to time. We know better now, and we find in practice that there’s always a way to work with nature to accomplish those same goals. It’s not always easier, but it’s always worth it. His garden was carefully guided through decades of bounty using human power and hand tools, and so is our farm. As we grew, we found that when we pay attention to the soil life and health first, we accomplish a system in which the more we grow, the more we improve our soil. We know that some veggies taste best only when grown at certain times of the year, and so that’s the only time we grow them. We take in tons of waste stream products – yard waste, fall leaves, woodchips from fallen trees – and leverage them as an abundant fertility source for our half-acre market garden. And when we can stack functions to gain efficiency and close loops, we take every opportunity – inviting our pastured laying hens into scratch and add fertility to beds before sowing again, recycling wastewater from our produce washing into our irrigation systems, or cover cropping as soil-building and forage for our happy chickens. The last piece of the puzzle was sharing our bounty. We harvest at first light, wash, and pack, and that food is where it needs to be later that very same afternoon. We decided on a delivery model so we can ensure our best produce was being placed directly into the hands of the people that we promised it to, in the quality and condition they expect. That face time with the people growing the food is invaluable, and we cherish it utterly. It’s something we’ve lost since Victory Gardens, something that’s gone the way of the flavorful tomato. We live here. We love food and we eat the food that we grow. We know that food can be expressions of love and family and community, and we grow with that knowledge close to our hearts. We know that the more we care for our soil, the more sustainable our mission grows. All of this comes across in the quality and flavor of our produce, and I grow more certain each season that that is the best we can do.

“Bei ng the food people we

a re, we were excited to sha re it w ith ou r fr iends.”

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

DIY

H A N D M A D E H O M E

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ALL THINGS DIY WITH EXPERT AUDREY KUETHER

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY AUDREY KUETHER

Before I made these cute gold leaf dishes, my jewelry was a tangled mess. Now I actually enjoy keeping it organized and displayed! Don’t let gold leaf intimidate you – it’s a game changer. Check out the tutorial to learn how to make some of these pretties for yourself or for gift giving.

SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

G O L D E N G L A M J E W E L R Y D I S H E S

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

P R E T T Y P O M P O M W A L L H A N G I N G S

It doesn’t get more fun than yarn pom poms – ok maybe I need to get a life, but nonetheless .... In this tutorial , I show you just how easy it is to make your own pom poms and pull them together to make the cutest wall hangings.

SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

I turned these toys into some fun photo holders, but they are also super fun used as table place settings at a kid’s birthday party. They double as a party favor!

T T P D

E R R I F I C O Y A N I M A L H O T O I S P L A Y S

SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

Eat Local LET’S SUPPORT OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS MORE THAN EVER IN 2021!

LIFESTYLE

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

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(757) 253-9433 • AutoClinicLongHill.com 4166 Longhill Road, Williamsburg, VA CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

LOCAL’S CHOICE

VI RG INI A

B R E A D COM PA NY Q&A WITH THE CO-FOUNDERS AND CO-BAKERS ARTICLE JOSHUA WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY KELLYN WILSON

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

WAS MORE HOT-CROSSED BUNS THAN STAR CROSSED LOV-

ERS THAT BROUGHT THESE TWO BAKERS OF BREAD TOGETHER. As Colin was wrapping up culinary school, Ainslie was beginning hers; their intersection was baking class. Both Colin and Ainslie found their passion in baking from their youth and experiences. Today, you can find Colin and Ainslie at numerous famers markets, including the Williamsburg Farmers Market and the

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A

Toano Market, sharing their delicious passion with anyone who enjoys baked

BREAD BAKING BUSINESS?

treats, sandwiches, holiday specials, or simple sourdough suitable for sopping.

I was inspired to start a bread baking

They couple also delivers and will open their new store front in Toano, Virginia

business by the way I grew up. I lived on a

in the coming months. Follow them at facebook.com/vabreadcompany/.

farm with many siblings and we all had to

The following interview was edited for clarity and brevity.

eat! I would come inside and bake special treats for everyone. I loved seeing the joy it gave them to have something nice after a hard day of work. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM FROM THE VIRGINIA BREAD CO. MENU? My favorite item is the gluten free sourdough! Most of my family has [celiac disease] so it’s been fun creating something everyone can enjoy. IF YOU WERE NOT PURSUING YOUR

A I N S L I E O’ RO U R K E

CULINARY GOALS WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? If I wasn’t baking, I think I’d be doing something artistic, maybe painting and making art or something along those lines. YOU HAVE A NIGHT OFF, WHERE DO YOU A COLIN GO FOR A DATE NIGHT? El Sabor! We love supporting a local business. They have great food and it’s close in case we need to get back to baby. FAVORITE BOOK, AND WHY? My favorite book is a historical fiction by Gene Stratton-Porter titled A Girl of the Limberlost. I suppose because she grew up like me, in the country, and had to prove herself and pay her own way through school. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING WITH COLIN? I like working with Colin because we get a long well. Also, [working together] is great team building for us since we are raising our baby together. CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

LOCAL’S CHOICE (CONTINUED)

CO L I N O’ RO U R K E WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PRIOR TO STARTING VIRGINIA BREAD CO.? I’ve always worked in the restaurant industry. I’ve been a dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, till eventually I found baking. My first baking job was bagels, and now almost nine years later I’ve never looked back. WHO IS YOUR HERO? My hero right now is Ainslie. She does an amazing job of being a new mom, all while still doing her half of the baking. WHAT ARE SOME HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF BAKING? Some hobbies outside of baking are having chickens, beekeeping, and video games for myself. I find all three to be a good way to spend off time, while the first two are more relaxing than the last hobby. WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU MAKE THAT GO BEYOND BREAD? We make all sorts of breads and pastries, but we are currently making more compound butters and flavored cream cheeses. We have currently made Honey & Bee Pollen, Black Garlic, Gingerbread, and Garlic & Herb.

“We are the most excited about opening our new location in Toano.”

Williamsburg Lifestyle | February 2021

YOU’LL

LOVE

WHAT’S IN STORE AT

OPENING SUMMER 2021

NEWLY DEVELOPED RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE

Progress Photo December 2020

RETAIL LEASING INQUIRIES: 215.873.7238 Michael Spector 301.503.2214 Marisa Michnick @midtownrow

MidtownRowWilliamsburg.com

CityLifestyle.com/Williamsburg

Meet Melrose Partners Designs, a family owned, clientdriven, renovation company, whose recent relocation to the Williamsburg area has sparked interest in the bui lding and real estate markets. Offering sophisticated ki tchen & bath renovations, new construction and addi tions & extensions, Melrose Partners Designs is laying roots in

Modern Sophisti ca ted Design M ELROSEPARTNERSDESIGNS.COM

312.863.0100

the local area.

Photography by Jim Tschetter

CARRI E@M ELROSEPARTNERSDESIGNS.COM