Montclair Baking is the “sugar, butter, chocolate, flour, and fresh fruit dream” of Owner/Pastry Chef Cheryl Lew.  The bakery is consistently recognized locally and nationally for its’ cakes, pastries and desserts by both patrons and peers.

Montclair Baking is owned and operated by Pastry Chef Cheryl Lew, a self-taught baker.

In the years since it’s opening in November 1990, Montclair  Baking’s dedicated staff has developed a style which combines old-fashioned scratch baking with a contemporary sense of flavor, utilizing California’s amazing local ingredients.

In 1992, the bakery was featured by the San Francisco Chronicle as “a hidden treasure.”  From 1993 to 1999, Montclair Baking was consistently featured by The Montclarian, Oakland Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle for its holiday specialties and use of fresh fruit in its desserts. The Chronicle listed Montclair Baking in its “Baker’s Dozen” Best Bakeries of the Greater Bay Area in December 1994.  In 1995 Cheryl was featured on the cover of Bay Food Magazine as one of the Bay Area’s Best Pastry Chefs, then few months later Cheryl was again recognized by The Chronicle and Bay Food as one of the Bay Area’s noted wedding cake designers.  In 2001 Montclair Baking was listed among the “Best 101 Reasons to Visit the Bay Area,” by the Bay Area Food Source because “everything is so tasty.” In a review of the bakery by Slow Food Guide to San Francisco, “Cheryl is noted for her strong adherence of allowing the true flavor of the ingredients found in her pastries to shine through… Lew insists on preserving the integrity of the ingredients.”

Custom wedding cakes by Cheryl earned her second place twice at the Domaine Carneros Ultimate Wedding Cake Competition 1994 and 1996.  This competition weighed taste and appearance equally.  Montclair Baking wedding cakes have since been featured in the following magazines--Elegant Bride, InStyle, Grace Ormonde, Today’s Bride, Northern California Knot Magazine, Pastry Art and Design, San Francisco Focus Magazine and American Cake Decorating.  In addition, two books have included work by Cheryl: Wedding Cakes for Dummies by Marcie Blum and Elegant Weddings by Donna Kooler.

In 2001 Cheryl became the 117^th Certified Master Baker through the Retail Baker’s Association.  Qualifications for this certification required a minimum of 8 years of hands on experience in baking and management, a written exam on the science of baking, and a practical exam consisting of baking and decorating a series of bread, morning pastries, pies and tarts, cakes and cookies. In addition to honing her own skills Cheryl has taught baking and decorating at Ramekins, Andronico’s, Sur La Table and Draeger’s

In 2005, Cheryl competed in the Spooky Cake and Candy Challenge sponsored by the Food Network.  This being the first competition on televisions for Cheryl, she did very well by winning first place.  She went on to being and assistant in the Mystery Cake Challenge also sponsored by the Food Network that same year.  She was a featured chef at the Old Ferry Plaza Market Place, performed several local TV demos and at various Stores.  Cheryl was a featured chef in the movie “Eat at Bill’s”.  The filmmaker documented small farmers and the chefs who congregate at the famed Monterey Market in Berkeley.  The film’s goal was to educate the public on organic, locally grown food as it went from the farm to the public.  Cheryl’s segment was about the ways to use cherries from local farmer John Mansfield of Goldbud Farms.

In 2008, Cheryl was featured in a special article for the New York Times food section on gay weddings.

Cheryl is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Asian-American Studies with an interest in Chemistry.  Her Mother was a pre-school teacher who encouraged fine arts and crafts at home.  Her father was a chemist and a teacher of chemistry – oddly he worked as a research chemist of the sugar industry.

Cheryl currently lives in Oakland, California within several minutes of the bakery.  She enjoys the weather and local bounty of food from the San Francisco Bay Area.  Her garden and its bounty are often inspiration for her creations at the bakery.  After all these years, Cheryl still eats chocolate, sugar, flour and butter.  During her limited time off she enjoys cooking for her friends and family.