STAFF FOCUS: Hannah Wilder

Odds are you’ve had one of our delicious pastries after a sunny, Sunday brunch. Or maybe you’ve sampled a bagel at Birdie’s, one of the newest additions from the mind of Pastry Chef, Hannah Wilder. We sat down with Hannah to discuss how she got started baking and where she hopes to take her creations.

How’d you end up in Richmond

I’ve been in Richmond for about 12 years. I moved here to go to art school, started working at the Black Sheep — which was supposed to be my job before going to school, but I’ve ended up staying in the restaurant industry ever since.

From Black Sheep I went to Sub Rosa, which is where I learned how to make bread and pastries properly, and that was awesome. Their wood-fired oven is the most fun thing to use. And that’s where I fell in love with the bread side of things. Evrim (Sub Rosa owner Evrim Dogu) used to always say, “It's so cool how you can make something so complex out of just flour, water, and salt.” And that’s stuck with me ever since.

What was the trajectory that brought you to Common House?

Common House had been on my radar for a while through mutual friends. I had been at Brenner Pass for a while when the pandemic hit, and I was out of work and feeling hesitant to come back to the restaurant industry. During the pandemic, I was able to be creative in so many other ways, including running a catering business with my friend, Sarah, from Sub Rosa called Two Fire Table. We did over-the-fire, campfire style cooking, which we still do occasionally and it really scratches my itch for savory cooking. 

But Common House is one of the few places in Richmond that has a dedicated pastry program, which was very enticing — especially having the freedom to make bread and pastries how I want to. Everyone here is very open to the things I want to explore. Common House is also not a clique-y place, and our pastry team is awesome. We have a very happy kitchen.

Do you ever get tired of sweets and what you’re baking?

You know, historically for me, I’ve never been a sweets person; I was a savory cook first. Bread to me is a very savory thing — it’s an avenue to do everything savory. Even my pastries tend to be a bit savory. There are so many areas to explore, so in that sense, it doesn’t get tiring.

Is there anything you’ve been working on that you’re excited to share?
I know we’re all very excited about the new addition of bagels at Birdie’s

I think part of what’s so exciting about being here is that I have two bakers who are so excited about learning new techniques — from making bagels to bread and everything in between. And generally (props to our entire kitchen staff) everyone’s doing such a great job. 

My main focus right now is definitely building out Birdie’s pastry offerings. I want to get this place busy, and make it known as a place where you can grab an awesome, quick breakfast. The fact that Birdie’s is public facing offers a great opportunity to give people a really cool first impression of Common House, and give them a taste of who we are.