Hazel Rose Bakery opens in Marlboro

By Mark Reynolds
Posted 11/24/21

Last week Jordan Polumbo opened her Hazel Rose Baking Company at 1447 Rte. 9W suite 2 in Marlboro. She grew up in Marlboro and later attended SUNY Delhi in 2012, earning a BA in Culinary Arts. She …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Hazel Rose Bakery opens in Marlboro

Posted

Last week Jordan Polumbo opened her Hazel Rose Baking Company at 1447 Rte. 9W suite 2 in Marlboro. She grew up in Marlboro and later attended SUNY Delhi in 2012, earning a BA in Culinary Arts. She has worked in a number of local bakeries, such as Frida’s in Milton and a few local farms like Prospect Hill Orchards and Dubois Farms. She even did a stint at the Valley Diner when they were open.

Polumbo said it was time to open her own place.

“I’m 32 and if I don’t do it now I’m never going to do it and I don’t want to say I never tried,” she said. “I always wanted to have my own place and now I have a great team with me; Diana Matias is my head pastry chef and Morgana Goodwin is the head barista.”

Matias met Jordan 7 years ago when they both worked at Frida’s. Jordan contacted her when she was living in New Hampshire.

“She said come back, come and help me and when I had the opportunity, I moved back,” Matias said. “I am definitely looking forward to the future. We’re going to do a lot more things coming up and keep adding ideas day by day. Each day is a new adventure here.”

Polumbo usually arrives at her shop by 4:30 a.m. so she is ready to open up by 5:30 a.m. and she closes at 3 p.m. The shop is open Wednesday through Sunday.

“We have breakfast and lunch every day, all day. If you want a grilled cheese at 5:30 a.m. you can get it, sit down or take out,” she said. “We always have baked goods and in the near future we’ll have kids and adults baking classes. I have so many nieces and nephews and I love baking in the kitchen and I feel it’s a great skill for kids to have.”

Polumbo said coming together to share a meal was a family tradition.

“When I was little we would have Sunday dinners at my grandmother’s house. That sweet little lady right there, we call her Bammy but she’s also known as Maryann Lobdell,” Polumbo said. “She’s 85 and has 22 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren with three more on the way, so we have a very big family.”

During high school Polumbo began to watch baking competitions on television, “and I said I can do that, which inspired me to go to SUNY Delhi. When I went there it really made me love baking even more.”

Polumbo and her fiance Jerry Murtagh completely renovated the inside of the shop and she expects to enlarge the kitchen in the near future.

“We’ll definitely be here for awhile,” she said.

Jordan said she could not have opened her bakery without the help of Jerry. The couple had to postpone their wedding for a year due to the pandemic and Jordan asked Jerry, “How do you feel about opening a bakery?” He quickly responded, “If that’s what you want, by all means let’s do it.”

Jerry said renovations began in April.

“When we came into this place the ceiling was purple, the walls had holes in them and everything was ripped out. I did the ceilings, did the sheet-rock, built the cabinets and the tables and Jordan upholstered all the chairs,” he said. “It took a lot to get up and running.”

At the Grand Opening there were a number of vendors such as Kiki’s Kandles owned by Krystal Alonge and KDM Calligraphy.

Tim Lawton has known Jordan for many years.

“I love her to pieces and I hope this is a fantastic success for her,” he said. “This is a real milestone for her.”

Richard Gerentine has known Jordan and her family for many years.

“She’s paid her dues and I think it’s going to work out very well for her,” he said. “There’s good food and she does very good cooking and has great deserts.”