New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Brandon Roderick, 27-year-old Chef and owner of the The Baker.
Most of Brandon’s life, he knew he wanted to grow up and become a doctor. In high school, he worked in restaurants, with his first job being at Divino’s in downtown New Bedford. His dream of becoming a doctor though soon became a reality for him, as he received a full ride to Tufts University.
While at Tufts, he continued to work in restaurants, all while pursuing his undergraduate degree full time. It was during a moment in his second year that everything changed and he knew that his passion wasn’t in medicine. He was sitting in the library studying for a chemistry test, when he got the urge to call Le Cordon Bleu and apply for enrollment in their culinary arts program.
He finished the semester at Tufts and began his journey the following September at Le Cordon Bleu. During his time there, he greatly pressed into the teachings of his mentor Ying Wei Luo, who saw his skill in baking and poured into him. Brandon would be early for class and leave late, trying to perfect everything Ying had to teach him. Upon graduating, he worked long days serving tables and long nights in a bakery, getting 3 hours of sleep in his car.
He found out that his great-grandmother’s health was declining and moved back to New Bedford, where he continued to commute back to Boston. This became too much for him and he then took a job as the General Manager of Ella’s in Wareham. This opened his eyes to the business side of the restaurant business, which helped him tremendously in the planning and opening of his own bakery, The Baker.
Brandon opened The Baker in downtown New Bedford in late 2016 and couldn’t be happier. He was told by many while living in Boston that he would be a fool to come to New Bedford and open a bake shop focused on artisan, hand-made, pastries and baked goods. Being the city that he loved and in the middle of a revitalization of the downtown area, he knew that a bakery would be a great addition to our already great city.
“Follow your passion, do what you love.”
Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com
Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton
