Behind the Dessert Case
If you have ever been to the Heilman Dining Center (HDC), you have probably stopped and stared at the beautiful dessert case. And you have probably grabbed one or two (or three or four) of the delicious options. The dessert station has been a long-time favorite among students, staff, and faculty. One of the most special parts of the HDC dining experience is knowing that you are guaranteed one of the best sweets you have ever had every time you walk in. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes?
Behind the swinging doors between Herb + Olive and Provisions 804 is the Bakeshop. Open seven days a week, the Bakeshop staff produce all of the desserts and breads in HDC as well as many of the treats sold at the retail dining locations on campus. The Bakeshop also offers catering and special event services for the university.
The bakers arrive at 5 a.m. and immediately begin preparing for breakfast, putting the donuts, scones, and muffins in the oven. Then, the cakes are iced and other items that go out later in the day are finished. After everything is ready, the bakers begin prepping for catered events and start working on the menu for the next day. According to one of the two lead bakers, Wendy Petersen, about 85% of the baked goods in HDC are made completely from scratch.
Petersen has always had a love for baking as she grew up with a sweet tooth, watching her grandmother constantly making delicious desserts for the family. In 1981, Petersen decided to turn her passion into a career by attending culinary school, then came to work at the University of Richmond after spending several years working in kitchens and restaurants. She just celebrated 13 years at UR!
Although Petersen was initially shocked at the volume, she says she would never go back because of how much she loves the environment on campus. Some of her favorite things about the job are deciding what will be on the menu (she always makes sure to include a lot of chocolate-based items) and decorating the big sheet cakes that are put on display for holidays and special occasions. Her favorite occasion to decorate for is Christmas and she says that the Bakeshop likes to come up with something unique every year. “My co-lead baker, Michelle, and I come up with ideas together,” says Petersen, “and we love being creative. There are no limitations.” While Petersen loves the artistic side to baking, she also appreciates the science of it all - it is important to be very precise when it comes to baked goods.
“All of the bakers get along so well,” says Petersen. “That’s the best part of the Bakeshop. There are five of us baking in there everyday and we have great chemistry. We all share the same passion and have our own unique visions that go together perfectly.”
Student Chloe Fortune, UR ‘26, started working in the Bakeshop when she first came to UR this fall. From Northern Virginia, Fortune has always had a passion for baking and knew she wanted to continue developing her skills while away from home. Fortune has experience volunteering for Cake4Kids, a nonprofit organization that makes sweets for underserved children across the US. She also started her own business in high school called Custom Bakes by Chloe. Working in the Bakeshop has taught Fortune how to transition from home baking to baking hundreds of sweets every day in a large-scale bakery. She says that she has learned so much about teamwork and is very thankful to Petersen and the rest of the team for helping her along the way. “I love being able to bake while at school,” says Fortune. “I especially love that the baked goods I’m making are going to UR students and the Spider community. My job has become both a great outlet and a way for me to use my baking skills to benefit the university, in addition to being such a great job.”
Fun Fact: Petersen and Fortune both listed the chocolate creme brulee as one of their favorite desserts at Crumbs + Cream!