New bakery now open in Kettering

The San Diego native who has lived in Ohio since 2013 said she took a break from baking for a long time but started again during the coronavirus pandemic.

She said she remembered one night in particular where her husband was eating one of her original blueberry lime scones.

He asked her, “Why don’t you make this and sell these to people?”

That’s exactly what she did. Woodie created Val’s Home Bakery, named after her grandmother Val, who passed away years ago. Woodie described her grandmother as an “amazing baker.”

“She’s really who gave me the love of baking in particular,” Woodie added.

For a while, Val’s Home Bakery offered online ordering and delivery to houses within a certain area of the Miami Valley. Woodie then began offering subscriptions and doing pop-up events.

“I never planned on opening another storefront ever again, but then Katie (Easton) from Dished offered to share her space with me,” Woodie said.

Woodie explained she had previously owned a café in Oregon in her 20s. When she moved, she sold it to her father who has since turned it into a pub.

Val’s Home Bakery is in the front of the building that houses Dished - a healthy, meal prep service.

“It’s so great we’re sharing space and we have this partnership, just kind of helping each other grow,” Woodie said.

Val’s Home Bakery will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday offering a variety of items including scones, donuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pop tarts, brownies, savory items and much more. The bakery will also have iced coffees and matcha.

“What I’m most excited about with the café is just sharing my love of food with other people and getting to connect with them on a day-to-day basis and building relationships,” Woodie said.

According to Woodie, the bakery will also feature local artwork for sale as well as other items made by local artists and vendors.

Overall, she is focusing on making her new space “a safe space, an open space for anyone and everyone to come and enjoy something that is made with love and that’s unique.”

For more about the menu, visit the bakery’s Facebook page.