Andrea Borchers

Childhood Dream

As early as kindergarten, I dreamt of owning a bakery. I grew up loving baking, always excited to go to my grandmother’s and be in her kitchen. I went to college for a business degree — there is so much more to a bakery than just baking. While working a full-time job, I took steps to develop my business and honed in on a specialty: brioche. That dough is a three-day process. For three years, my husband and I set up at the Richland Park Farmers’ Market to sell my pastries and build a following. In 2017, I was able to quit my fulltime job; in 2018, we opened our first shop in East Nashville, and we opened our West Nashville location in January 2020.

Mentoring Community

My mentorship experience was a little different than others, as I took brioche-specific classes at the San Francisco Baking Institute and a croissant class at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Otherwise, I am self-trained. Other chefs and entrepreneurs at Citizen Kitchens who were on a similar track as me were growing their businesses; seeing what they were doing — and how they were doing it — was akin to mentorship. It was a powerful and supportive community.

Proudest Moment

After brioche, my passion is for the croissant. What makes it perfect? There are so many factors: temperature, humidity, even the temperature of the baker’s hands. My proudest moment was getting the process right, over and over. Persistence and patience — and finally being in the controlled environment of my own production kitchen — rewarded me with the ideal croissant.

Signature

The Cinnaroll was my first brioche recipe to perfect, the first offering we introduced at Richland and the pastry that defines Brightside. I’ve also developed savory-stuffed brioche muffins that make unique grab-and-go morning meals.

The Future Is Bright

We want to have more fun! We have weathered the worst of the pandemic and worked to steadily build the business. I value my team and want to give their contributions a greater platform to shine, so each member participates in product development for monthly flavors. Their creativity manifests in unique items such as the French Onion Croissant Claw, the Coffee Toffee Brioche and the Baklava Puff Pastry.