Woodblock Bakery Will Open in Woodblock Chocolate in Portland

A new bakery called Woodblock Bakery will set up shop in Woodblock Chocolate’s cafe space at their Manufactory very soon. Veteran baker Jesse Schumann is behind the new bakery and he brings with him a team of local industry pros to offer high-quality baked goods, coffee, and service. They plan to open on Wednesday, August 6.

Spella Caffè’s Departure

Last week we reported that Spella Caffè was leaving this space so they can focus their efforts on their downtown location that will be involved with the James Beard Public Market. During their nine months in residence at Woodblock Chocolate, Spella was a lovely addition to the neighborhood and a great partner at the Manufactory. Their final day was Sunday, July 27.

And it’s no surprise that I and other Portlanders wondered what was next for the Woodblock cafe space. Jesse was kind enough to send me an email with more details about Woodblock Bakery, and I’m so pleased to be able to tell you more about it

Jesse’s Baking Background

Jesse has had significant baking experiences in SF, Portland, and Seattle, and he brings all his skills and experience in opening Woodblock Bakery.

SFBI and Baking in Portland

Jesse started his baking career in San Francisco. “I have 15 years of experience in the baking industry,” he explained. “I attended SFBI [San Francisco Baking Institute] back in 2009. After finishing the professional baking program there, I moved back to Portland and worked at Lovejoy, Little T, and Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry before moving up to Seattle to start Sea Wolf.”

Seattle: Sea Wolf Bakers and Oxbow

Regarding the aforementioned Sea Wolf, Jesse, along with his brother Kit, founded the bakery in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood in 2014. In 2022, they founded Oxbow, a bakery and cafe in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle. Both places are highly respected and in 2020, David Landsel included Sea Wolf in Food & Wine magazine’s list of the 100 best bakeries in America. (NB: Portland’s Bakeshop, Bella’s, and Ken’s also made the list).

A Chocolate Crisis and a Love of Portland

The draw of Portland (these days Jesse splits his time between Seattle and Portland) and a “chocolate crisis” started Jesse’s path to Woodblock Bakery. “I got to know Jessica and Charley [at Woodblock] a year or two ago when Theo Chocolate left Seattle and Sea Wolf had to hunt down a new chocolate supplier,” he said. “They are, of course, incredibly nice people who make a fantastic product.” 

He continued, “When I learned that they were looking for someone to run their cafe space, it felt like a singular opportunity to do something rewarding with good people in a city that I have always loved.”

The Who and What of Woodblock Bakery

Front-Of-House

Jesse tells us that their front-of-house will be run by MayMay Stein—recently of Prince Coffee—with support from Jerica Miller—recently of Posies Cafe. “They are both industry veterans and under their oversight, I know Woodblock will continue to be a warm and welcoming place for everyone in the neighborhood,” remarked Jesse.

Hyacinth Coffee

They will be brewing Hyacinth Coffee, a small roaster based in Seattle founded by Dennis Peseau. He established Hyacinth Coffee on site at Sea Wolf in 2021. He was also the head roaster for Victrola for 11 years. “Denny is another very sweet, very hard-working, very talented small business owner,” said Jesse.

Jesse is chuffed that Woodblock Bakery will be the first cafe to serve and sell Hyacinth Coffee in Portland. 

The Baking at Woodblock Bakery

“I’ll be baking in the tiny kitchen and our initial offerings at Woodblock will be simple but fun,” explained Jesse.  “We’ll be starting with classics like cookies, scones, and cinnamon rolls.” 

Jesse has a background mostly in bread and laminated doughs, but like so many of us he has an appreciation for cookies. He has been doing a lot of cookie test baking at home to find the best ones for Woodblock Bakery.

And of course, they’ll be utilizing Woodblock chocolate as much as possible, though Woodblock Bakery does not aim to be a strictly chocolate-themed bakery. 

I was happy to hear they are going to offer some savory items! I love savory pastries. “On the savory side, I’ve been working on a sausage roll to fill the Pig Newton-shaped hole left by Jim & Patty’s closing on Fremont,” Jesse said. As a lover of the Pig Newton, I approve of this message.

He added, “I also get a kick out of our pesto roll, which is inspired by a favorite (somewhat trashy) treat from my wife’s upbringing in rural Northern California.” 

Woodblock Bakery will provide honest, unfussy food made with care and happiness. They also look forward to expanding their offerings over the coming months, as they figure what they can do with the space.

Woodblock Bakery Opening and Hours

As I mentioned earlier, Woodblock Bakery will open on Wednesday, August 6. Their hours will be 7am to 3:30pm. Initially, they will limit their open days to Wednesdays to Sundays while they get their sea legs at the bakery.

Eventually they hope to be open 7-days-a-week—perhaps even by early fall—to provide more reliable service to the neighborhood. They look forward to showcasing Charley and Jessica’s excellent chocolate and to help make it more widely available going into the holiday season.

I can’t wait to check out Woodblock Bakery when they are open, which is just around the corner. All the best to Jesse, Charley and Jessica, and the Woodblock Bakery team as they put together what I think its going to be an incredible addition to the local Portland baking scene.

Woodblock Bakery [opening August 6, 2025]
1715 NE 17th Avenue, Portland
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