Marsee Baking is a local, artisan, family owned wholesale bakery serving the Pacific Northwest. We have facilities in Portland, Oregon and Kent, Washington, and we deliver delicious bakery goods as far north as Burlington, Washington and as far south as Eugene, Oregon. Our Portland bakery also has an Outlet Store in addition to accepting orders from the general public.
Who We Are
Our Journey…
1993
Marsee Baking was established in Northwest Portland and quickly earned a reputation for creating the most premium, high-quality desserts and breads Portland had to offer.
2001
Derek Moeller bought the wholesale division of Marsee Baking in 2001 during a time it was struggling to survive. With determination, hard work and an incredible team of people, Marsee emerged a healthy, thriving business.
2012
With the acquisition of a small bakery in Kent, Washington, Uncle Seth’s Original Pink Cookie was added to the Marsee Family. Established in 1989, Uncle Seth’s Cookies quickly became a Seattle favorite! Uncle Seth has a unique story leading to the creation of this amazing cookie. Many have attempted to copy it, but well-guarded techniques keep this cookie untouchable!
2016
Coeur d’Alene Bakery joined the Marsee Family to add breads and rolls to the Seattle menu. CDA has a reputation for creating the finest, traditionally made, handcrafted breads and rolls. Coeur d’Alene was established in 1993 and brought with it a very special treasure that cannot be duplicated: a sourdough starter that originated in San Francisco more than 100 years ago!
2021
The most recent addition to the Marsee Family is a beloved Portland gem. Established in 1986, Portland Style Cheesecakes & Dessert Co. has been serving exquisite, made-from-scratch cheesecakes and cakes that truly have no match! From Kim Haine’s home kitchen to a small bakery in S.E. Portland to our family at Marsee Baking, the original recipes and techniques have been carefully preserved to continue this Portland legacy!
Today
It’s amazing to think that here we are more than two decades later, still focused on our core goals: To provide the absolute best baked goods in the Pacific Northwest with exceptional customer service, while also caring for our employees, our communities, and our environment. All of us at Marsee Baking hope that the hard work and care we put into each and every bakery creation will bring smiles with every bite!
Our Marsee Family is SWEET!
We may be biased, but we really believe we have the best team around! Marsee employees are a diverse bunch of hard-working, team-oriented people. Our employees come from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations. They have been known to help each other out in numerous ways, from helping with transportation to helping with unexpected financial expenses. We have received too many compliments to count from customers, vendors, even interns about the friendly, caring culture at Marsee Baking. We are truly blessed and proud to be a part of such an amazing community of people. A family.:)
“The best thing about working at Marsee is the people I get to work with.” –Starleen
“I like the good food here and the atmosphere! The Croissants!” –Greg
“The positive, friendly environment. Everyone gets along here. It’s like a big family here and we make some really good cakes! I also appreciate that when we get busy, managers step in and help us in production.” –Brittany
“I like working with a good team. I like the people I work with.” –Nerida
“I like what I get to do. I love it! We make some delicious food by hand. We make the crust, the filling, the topping, the caramel, all by hand. I love what I do!” –Katy
“I like working with the people who work here.” –Floyd
The talent and inspiration behind Marsee’s beautiful, edible creations is found in its General Manager, Daniel Bes. His tireless work ethic and limitless creativity have earned him a devoted following. Some of Daniel’s masterpiece’s truly are too beautiful to eat…uh, but we eat them anyway. And we are always glad we did!
Daniel grew up and trained in the South of France. He worked in Africa for 2 years prior to coming to the United States where he built an impressive culinary resume. He has owned bakeries, taught Pastry Art at California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and Le Cordon Rouge in Sausalito, was a guest chef at Culinary Institute of America Greystone Napa Valley, and consulted for several large bakeries. His journey brought him to Oregon in 1994 when he became the executive pastry chef at Moonstruck Chocolatier, and when Moonstruck’s baking division merged with Marsee Baking, well, the rest is history! Marsee definitely came out ahead in that deal!
Daniel knows his stuff. He is involved in every aspect of producing our baked goods, from carefully and deliberately selecting the finest ingredients, to perfecting the mixing and baking processes, to seeing the product shipped safely and accurately out the door. Daniel truly puts his heart into creating the finest, most exquisite baked goods available. He loves the fast paced demands and variety that come with running such a diverse bakery.
Here’s a peek into a short Q & A:
Q: What drives you to work so hard at being the best?
A: “Whatever I do, I always do the best I can. It does not take more time or effort, and the personal reward feels so much better than being just average.”
Q: What are your goals for Marsee?
A: “To continue to grow the business, introduce new, exciting products to the local market, and develop strong, working relationships with other successful, local companies.”
Q: How do you view the employees at Marsee?
A: “The core of Marsee’s employees have been working here for a long time and that is something we are really proud of. They really make the Marsee family!”
Q: What are your views about the delicious creations you make?
A: “To always remember, even when we make several thousand products daily, the end customer who will buy a tart or a croissant. They expect it to be perfect, and maybe in a small way we can bring them a happy feeling moment!”
Ten-year-old Derek, calling his mom at work: “Mom, I’m trying to make cinnamon rolls, but something is wrong with the dough.”
Derek’s mom: “Derek, did you knead the dough?”
Ten-year-old Derek: “No, mom, I didn’t NEED the dough. I just WANTED it.”
No one could have guessed that Derek would own a bakery one day! And he still loves cinnamon rolls, but he loves people even more! Derek cares about people first. Family, friends, coworkers. It matters to him how their lives are affected by the decisions he makes. He takes joy in helping people…fixing a coworker’s car, helping a friend move, donating and delivering food…are a few examples of ways he cares.
Derek is the definition of DIY! You might find him changing a flat tire on a delivery truck, working on the accounting, filling in for Customer Service on the phones, repairing an oven, meeting with a vendor or a banker, or making a last minute delivery to be sure an order isn’t missed. This “roll up your sleeves” kind of work ethic is in large part the reason for Marsee’s success.
Marsee is a family business in the true sense. Derek and his wife, Rhonda, both work at the bakery. All three sons have worked in various capacities, starting with litter patrol in the parking lots, helping with distribution, customer service, sales, cleaning ovens, even re-roofing one of the buildings! Native Oregonians, they love to hit the mountain once or twice in the winter and the lake in the summer. Finding breathtaking hiking destinations is at the top of their favorites list. Waterfalls and viewpoints are the best. Send us an email if you have a favorite destination you would like to suggest to them! Here is a quick interview with Derek:
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Marsee?
A: “That’s easy…the people. I really love the people I work with and it makes my job enjoyable every day!”
Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of owning/operating a business?
A: “I love building things. Cars, buildings, in this case, a business. I love the process of building the Marsee brand in our communities. I want the Marsee name to mean something to people in our communities. My goal is that when people hear the Marsee name, they will equate it with high quality, integrity, generosity, and happiness.”
Q: What is the most important thing you do at Marsee?
A: “I try very hard to create a positive workplace and make a positive impact on our local communities. The two go hand in hand. Happy, satisfied people create strong, supportive communities. It’s important to me to foster a positive atmosphere for people to work in. Full time employees spend a good part of their lives at their place of employment so it should be a great place to be. Bakery work is hard work and people have to spend a lot of time on their feet. I want them to feel cared for and appreciated. I love to walk through the bakery and see smiling faces! It makes my day!”
Q: Why do you think Marsee has been successful?
A: “Our goal is to provide the highest quality baked goods and the absolute best customer service around. It sounds overly simple, but it really boils down to people and relationships. We really do care about each other here, but it also goes beyond our bakery walls. Caring for our communities is our responsibility. Giving generously to other people and organizations is a privilege and a priority. We want to be a business people can count on! We want the local businesses we supply to feel cared for and we want our local communities to be happy to have us as a neighbor!”
Q: What about the person buying a muffin at their local coffee shop?
A: “I hope that muffin brings a smile to their face and makes them look forward to tomorrow when they can have another one!”