Danielle Spencer
Win Son Bakery | Brooklyn
October 2019
As a kid, Danielle Spencer wanted to be a detective, but in the end, the mysteries of baking proved to be far more alluring to her. Growing up near the Culinary Institute of America, Spencer toured the school at 16 years old and knew a career in the kitchen was meant to be. In 2011, she officially enrolled in the school to study pastry and externed at Bar Boulud under Pastry Chef Ghaya Oliveira. After graduating, Spencer accepted a pastry position at Chef Tom Colicchio’s Craft where, over the next five years, she cooked with a number of chefs and learned to work with different culinary styles, going on to curate the dessert menu at Craftbar as well.
Looking to gain some experience in hotels, Spencer helped open Colicchio’s Temple Court at The Beekman. There, she learned how to design and manage a large pastry program while handling amenities, 24/7 room service, and special events. In 2018, Spencer reconnected with her former coworker and Rising Stars alum Trigg Brown of Win Son. After traveling to Taiwan to explore the culture, cuisine, and flavors of the region, she helped Brown open Win Son Bakery a year later. Since then, Spencer has worked to expand and bolster the bakery’s team, working with the Food Education Fund to create culinary internship opportunities for high school students at the bakery. Now, she is gearing up for the opening of a second Win Son Bakery, with plans to expand the food and beverage program and connect with the community through her Taiwanese-inflected baked goods, like her pine nut sun cookie and golden sesame-fig nian gao.
2019 StarChefs Chefs Congress Presenter
2025 StarChefs New York City Rising Stars Award Winner
