About us
A Bowerbird You Say?
Our Team
Know your bakers
Chef Earl Vallery
Founder, Pastry Chef, Bon Manguer
Pastry Chef Earl Vallery has 15+ years experience in the food world, both in and out of the kitchen: from managing the crew at Tecolote Farm and teaching at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, TX, to working in cave-like, fluorescent-lit corporate bakeries and mom-and-pop pastry shops alike. In 2017, he settled in his new home of Charlottesville, VA, and pursued a new project: Bowerbird Bakeshop, a collection of lived and enjoyed pastries!
He enjoys dogs and all of the food. All of it.
Maria Niechwiadowicz
Manager, Pastry Sous Chef, Joy Maker
Maria hails from South Dakota where she grew up cooking with her dad and baking Scandinavian treats from her grandmother’s recipe book. Just like the Bowerbird builds its nest out of eclectic and interesting pieces, so has Maria journeyed thus far. From musical theatre, to children and youth ministry, teaching English abroad and implementing food education programs in Charlottesville- creating and sharing food has always been a central part of each chapter. Maria is a can-doer who keeps the team organized, exhibits creativity in recipe development, and uses her experience in cultivating community to ensure Bowerbird is living out its mission everyday.
In her free time Maria enjoys hiking with her spouse and sipping wine on her patio.
Mariah Wesely
Pastry Assistant, Color Queen
When not elbow-deep in cinnamon roll dough or piping macarons, Mariah is a full-time artist and owns her own business: Cornpicker Art. She specializes in watercolor and ink illustrations while dabbling in digital on the side. You should check out her stuff on Instagram and Etsy.
In her free time, Mariah enjoys nothing more than curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. Beyond that, she can usually be found in her kitchen making an unhealthy amount of pies.
Kevin Simmons
Front of House, Obsessor of all things coffee
Native to North Carolina, Kevin has now lived in Charlottesville for three years. Between brewing many cups of coffee daily, Kevin enjoys trail runnings, playing video games, and cooking on cast iron skillets.
Our Values
Local
Ingredients / Local Economy
Sourcing ingredients from regional farms and only using in-season produce, as able. Buying from friends, makers, growers, and creators to help keep our money in our area.
Compostable and Low-Impact
Packaging
Using recycled and/or biodegradable packaging as available. Minimizing the use of plastic.
Living
Wage & Humanism
Paying our employees a living wage. Acknowledging the difficult and toxic working conditions of the food service industry and actively working to create a healthier space.
Giving Back
Giving back to the local community through monetary donations and product donations. If we aren’t helping our neighbors, what’s the point?
What is a Bowerbird?
Bowerbirds are an exceptional breed of bird from southeast Asia and Australia that are renowned 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 locally-produced products, interesting artifacts, and, frankly, whatever catches our eye.
