With Macey Williams
Meet Macey Williams, a talented member of the pastry team at Circa 1886, where classic technique meets seasonal creativity. From hand-rolled croissants to elegant breakfast quiches, Macey brings passion, precision, and a love for local ingredients to every dish she creates.
How did you get started in this field?
When I was in college, I worked in a bakery and fell in love with it! Since then, I’ve worked in some amazing restaurants, soaking up all the culinary and baking knowledge I can.
What drew you to Circa 1886?
What drew me to Circa 1886 was its amazing pastry program, where we make everything from scratch. Croissants, Bread, and Biscuits are all made by hand by the bakery team. I am a very technique-oriented person, and I’ve been able to fine-tune those techniques here with the help of our Executive Pastry Chef Ashley Cardona.
What’s your favorite thing to make in the Circa 1886 kitchen right now?
It’s so hard to choose just one! For dinner service, I love making classic French baguettes; when done right, they are truly delicious. I also really enjoy making quiche as a breakfast special for guests at the Wentworth Mansion®; it’s such a luxurious and nourishing breakfast and a great way to showcase the local produce we have.
What inspires what you create?
Seasonality inspires me so much, I love to think about what is in season and how we can best showcase it and make it the most delicious version of itself. I am also very inspired by the simple and quintessential things we make every day. Are we making the best versions of those things? If not, how can we make them better? Charleston itself is so inspirational, with many amazing chefs, cooks, and restaurants around us!
Any secret ingredients or techniques you love to use?
My secret ingredient is the quality of the ingredients we use at the restaurant. The difference that good butter & flour can make is substantial, especially in croissants and bread! As far as technique I would say practice makes perfect. The mistakes you make along the way are usually still delicious ones, and they are a learning experience. It only makes the final product that much more rewarding!
What makes Circa 1886's bakery so unique?
Everything is done completely from scratch — even the white bread served at Wentworth Mansion® for breakfast is baked in-house. Our bakery team works incredibly hard, often starting their day at 2:30 a.m. and arriving by 4:00 a.m., so that fresh-baked croissants are ready for Kings Courtyard Inn, Fulton Lane Inn, and breakfast pastries for John Rutledge House Inn®, in addition to all the breads we serve here at Circa 1886.
