Cumberland is getting a new bakery-café this month, and there’s a pretty interesting story behind the person opening it. Mère is set to open September 26 at 204 Gray Road in Cumberland, with breads, pastries, sandwiches, salads and take-and-bake meals on the menu.
Meet Georgia Macon
Mère is the creation of pastry chef Georgia Macon, and this is something she’s been working toward for a long time.
According to the Press Herald, Macon studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before working in St. Louis and later at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. She eventually made her way to Maine, where she worked as executive pastry chef for Prentice Hospitality Group, including at Twelve and Evo Kitchen + Bar.
Her work has also gotten some attention along the way. In 2023, Macon was named a Rising Star pastry chef by StarChefs.
So, What Can You Expect at Mère?
Macon is bringing a mix of her different experiences to the bakery. According to the Press Herald, Mère will have French-inspired pastries along with foods that connect back to her Missouri roots, including biscuits, hand pies and St. Louis-style gooey butter cake.
The name Mère means “mother” in French and has a few meanings behind it, including the “mother” dough used in baking.
For Macon, opening Mère is a chance to take everything she’s learned over the years and finally put it into a bakery of her own.
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