Wooden Bakery Worcester Sunday pop-ups set to be a permanent feature at Wooden Bar

For more than a month, the Wooden Bakery Worcester has had a steady flow of new and returning customers at its Sunday pop-ups from 7 a.m. to noon inside Wooden Bar restaurant, 4 Knowlton Ave., Worcester. The bakery is expected to be a permanent fixture at Wooden Bar by late summer or early fall. Sunday pop-ups will continue through the summer.

Daniel Bourget and his wife, Helene Bourget, owners of B. Food in Milford, have collaborated with Wooden Bar’s owners Chris Ly and Spencer Mewherter about the bakery and recently moved B. Food’s Milford food production to expanded kitchen space at the Worcester restaurant.

The dish: In 2019, B. Food opened a bakery at Hickey’s Wine & Spirits in Milford, a business owned by Daniel’s Bourget’s uncle.

At a recent Sunday pop-up at Wooden Bar, Helene Bourget took a short break to talk about the couple’s newest business venture. She said B. Food’s Milford business had steadily grown, especially after it was featured on WCVB’s show “Chronicle” and social media. “We really needed to expand our kitchen space,” said Bourget, who explained that her husband and Ly had worked at BirchTree Bread Company in Worcester and their long-time friendship led to the Worcester partnership.

Bourget said the couple are excited about launching the bakery with Ly and Merwherter, who currently are renovating space for the bakery. The pop-ups are held in the bar area near the restaurant entrance. They have been very successful, said Bourget, and the Worcester community has been supportive from day one. Worcester is a busy food scene with lots of business opportunities, she said, “reasons why we decided to open a second location here.”

At the pop-ups, customers have a choice of more than 30 freshly baked pastries, in addition to sourdough breads. There are basics, such as croissants, but the Bourgets like to add a few surprises to the mix. Some customers find savory food, such as quiche, to be more satisfying, according to Bourget. Quiche Lorraine originated in her home region of France and the bakery makes “the real deal,” she said. “Our food is European style,” added Bourget.

Coming soon to the Sunday pop-ups will be sausage rolls featuring bratwurst sausage with caramelized onions. During summer, a salad “of the week” is on the menu. Bourget said “all greens and fresh veggies” are purchased from Crown & Roots Farm in Oxford. For pastries, the owners strive to use organic or local flour.

Worcester native Daniel Bourget brings international experience as a chef and artisan baker. Three full-time employees work with him in the kitchen. He’s dedicated to his profession and works hard, according to his wife who currently drives bakery products from Worcester to Milford, where B. Food is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. “We’re fortunate to have great employees in Milford, so I am able to be in Worcester for the Sunday event,” said Bourget. “I joke about being split in half, like there are two of me.”  About B. Food, the “B” is for Bourget and the name is a play on “Be Good.”

Helene Bourget, who grew up in the Lorraine region of France, has worked in Germany and the United Kingdom, where she met her future husband. The couple married in 2013 and recently celebrated 11 years of a “happy life together.”  They reside in Webster with their two dogs and cat. She has worked as an event planner and marketer and held many “small” jobs in the United States before the couple opened the Milford bakery. The couple lived in France for several years, where Daniel Bourget learned how to make breads and Viennoiseries, French baked goods from yeast-leavened dough. The croissant is the classic example of Viennoiserie. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, where he received an associate’s degree in culinary arts and a bachelor’s in business.

Note: Wooden Bakery Worcester is accepting pastry and bread-preorders for the Fourth of July holiday, posting menu and ordering information on Facebook (woodenbakeryworcester) and Instagram. No food will be sold on site at the time orders are picked up on July 4. The Sunday pop-up bakery will take a “July vacation to re-energize and give employees time off.” Connect on Facebook for information.

Bourget said when the Worcester bakery officially opens, hours will not conflict with Wooden Bar restaurant, which currently is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Wooden Bakery plans opposite hours, opening early morning to 1 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Cocktails also may be in the future, said Bourget. “Brunch cocktails like a mimosa or Bloody Mary.”

The Sunday pop-up wows, and most importantly, there’s plenty of product and service is friendly and efficient. Customers can sit in the restaurant and enjoy a cup of coffee with their food. “Most people take-out,” said Bourget.

The bakery’s selection of fresh-baked pastries makes choosing just one or two the hardest part of going to this pop-up.

Enjoy!

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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Table Hoppin': Wooden Bakery pop-ups become a staple at Wooden Bar