The Sweet Legacy of Mickey’s Pastry Shop With Third-Generation Bakery Owner Melanie Daniels

Melanie Daniels is the Owner of Mickey’s Pastry Shop, a bakery located in Goldsboro, NC, serving various baked goods, including pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and more. Melanie is America’s first third-generation certified master baker and one of only 250 in the country. Her paternal grandfather Mickey purchased the pastry shop over 75 years ago. She continues his legacy by using the same recipes, including his legendary “long john,” served throughout five Eastern North Carolina counties.

In this episode…

Have you considered becoming a Certified Master Baker? Achieving this designation is a testament to one's baking skills and prepares them to own and operate a bakery. So what does it take to achieve this distinctive certification?

Master bakers are seasoned baking professionals who can create superior baked goods and run a full-line independent or in-store bakery. They have been educated in culinary arts, sanitation principles, management, and retail sales. However, before you can call yourself a Certified Master Baker, you must acquire the necessary training and work experience to be certified by the Retail Bakers of America, a non-profit trade association. Master baker and bakery owner Melanie Daniels explains that you must also possess at least eight years of verifiable experience in a baking facility before applying for the certification. Once you’ve acquired the necessary education, you must take two tests, including a proctored and practical exam performed before judges.

In this episode of the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast, Odette D’Aniello chats with Melanie Daniels, Owner of Mickey’s Pastry Shop, about her experience as a third-generation bakery owner. Melanie discusses the history of Mickey’s, how to qualify for the master baker certification, and tips for owning and operating a business.