WILLIAMSBURG – What began as a food blog during college has grown into a thriving bakery rooted in connection, quality ingredients, and creativity for Ashlyn Bowden, owner of Plate Fete.
Bowden said her journey into baking professionally started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was home with her first child and looking for more meaningful interaction.
“I was a food blogger during college, and then I did that out of college, and I just, during COVID, I had my first daughter, and I was looking for more ways to connect with people,” Bowden said. “I was like just home with the baby, you know, on a computer screen. It was like ‘I want some connection.’”
That desire led her to transition from recipe development to taking orders, beginning with small-scale wedding cakes before expanding into a certified kitchen and wholesale partnerships.
“My business really started growing, and I worked with the lavender farm in Toano and then got into the farmer’s market and started doing some wholesale,” she said.
Today, Plate Fete operates out of Frothy Moon Brewhouse, an opportunity that came after Bowden built a relationship with the business over time.
“I reached out to them. I think they’d been open just a couple of months. And I asked if I could do a pop-up event here,” she said. “So I did that for a year and a half before I reached out to him… He said, if you want to start small, you could start here,” Bowden said.
The bakery’s name reflects Bowden’s philosophy about food and its ability to bring joy.
“The reason that I bake is because I like feeding people. I love seeing people made happy by food,” she said. “So I like to think that like a plate is kind of a party.”
That idea carries into her menu, where she focuses on elevating familiar favorites.
“I think everything that we do is a little bit elevated so that it is unique, but it’s also, it calls back to the familiar,” Bowden said. “So that’s what I like to do is take childhood favorites and then elevate them a little bit for, you know, the adult palate.”
A key distinction of Plate Fete is its emphasis on ingredient quality. Bowden uses organic, unbleached flour, avoids artificial additives, and incorporates natural alternatives.
“I think the primary thing is the ingredients that I’m using,” she said. “I don’t use any artificial coloring or artificial flavors.”
That commitment is personal as well as professional.
“Well, I want everything that I’m making. I want to feel good about giving it to my kids,” Bowden said. “They’re the primary taste testers.”
She added that ingredient choices can impact how customers feel after eating her baked goods.
“People will comment that they don’t feel heavy after eating them because we’re using good ingredients,” she said. “We shouldn’t eat endless cinnamon rolls, but if you’re gonna eat a cinnamon roll, you know you want it, and you want to feel good after it.”
Natural food coloring and flavoring methods also play a role in the bakery’s offerings.
“I’ve been able to get vibrant colors and other parents are really excited about that because their kids want the cookies and they feel better about giving it to them,” Bowden said.
She noted that using real ingredients enhances flavor.
“Even like our buttercreams, we’re using freeze-dried fruit to flavor them instead of fruit extracts, and it really blows people away,” she said. “It tastes like a banana, not a banana Laffy Taffy.”
Plate Fete also offers dairy-free and gluten-free options, with an emphasis on taste rather than compromise.
Being located inside a brewhouse has expanded both her audience and menu.
“I feel like I’m reaching a completely different clientele than I used to with my business,” she said. “And it’s really pushed me to develop more savory recipes.”
Bowden said the environment has encouraged crossover between customers seeking sweets and those looking for savory options.
“I feel like the clientele that I had that was here for the pastries has been excited about the savory options and vice versa,” she said.
Beyond the storefront, Bowden has built strong ties within the Williamsburg community through her regular presence at the local farmers market, which she described as her favorite part of the week. She, with her husband and two children, often runs the booth together, creating opportunities to connect with repeat customers and learn their preferences and dietary needs. She said those relationships and the ability to understand where food comes from have become increasingly meaningful as communities continue to reconnect following the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience has also shaped her children’s understanding of local food systems, giving them firsthand exposure to the work behind small businesses and farming.
As demand grows, Bowden said she is focused on maintaining connections and collaborating with other local businesses. Looking ahead, she plans to return to the lavender farm this summer with a mobile bakery concept, further expanding her presence in the region. Plate Fete also plans to continue hosting collaborative events, including recurring beer dinners.
For Bowden, the future of Plate Fete remains rooted in creativity, community, and a simple goal.
To learn more about Plate Fete, visit platefete.com.
