< Back to Oral History project: Southern Baking
ORAL HISTORY
Melanie Daniels
Mickey's Pastry Shop
On display in Mickey’s Pastry Shop is a working candy stove from 1923—the same candy stove where Melanie Daniels’ grandfather, Mickey, learned his trade. In 1946, Daniels’ grandfather purchased the bakery from his mentor and renamed it Mickey’s Pastry Shop. Since then, three generations have followed in his footsteps. Mickey’s son-in-law Jerry recently retired in 2019, handing over the reins to Daniels, his daughter. The country’s first third generation Certified Master Baker and one of only 250 in the country, she carries on the legacy of her grandfather’s shop. Mickey’s still uses the same recipes and serves everyone who walks in the door with a mutual respect, a quality that extends back to Daniels’ grandfather’s Quaker roots. With over sixty products baked fresh daily and their popular “long-john” making appearances in five counties in Eastern North Carolina, there’s something for everyone’s sweet tooth.
