Los Angeles-based Varsity Bakers are in the process of opening their first commissary kitchen, calling it Varsity Bakery, in Culver City, located at 6271 Bristol Pkwy.
The new 2,540 square-foot kitchen will hopefully move into the former home of Mandarin Dish, which closed down last year. Owner Annarose Davis tells What Now Los Angeles she hopes to eventually open a bakery commissary space for production sometime next year, but unfortunately, “nothing is finalized.” The new space will likely not have a dining area, but customers will be able to order and pick up their delicious treats, similar to how they’ve been operating before this kitchen.
Currently, Varsity Bakers use Thorne Family Farm in Malibu as their home field of operations. In the winter, the family-owned farm produces many crops, such as kale, chard, lettuces, Tuscan broccoli, and citrus fruit. The farm produces tomatoes, corn, melons, avocados, squashes, and strawberries in the summer. Varsity Bakers use the space to showcase their talents at owner Larry Thorne’s farm stand. Some of their recent menu additions include veggie quiche, coffee cake loaf, and gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookie packs.
Varsity Bakers is the product of Annarose Davis and Jeffrey de Leon. With over 17 years of baking professionally, Davis has become a highly knowledgeable artisan baker, eventually leading teams at Michelin-rated restaurants like Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Bouchon. Her efforts have awarded her many accolades, including being included in Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2016 and a showcase in Sift Magazine.
On the other hand, Leon found himself interested in the culinary world following a career in computer science. This realization led him to Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. After following the advice of his pastry chef, Jeffrey attained an internship at Thomas Keller’s acclaimed Bouchon in Las Vegas, where, through the guidance of his mentors, he was able to grow and build strong foundations that allowed him to assist teams at the French Laundry and multiple Bouchon locations.
