Alice + Kate Bakery:
an indulgence in sweetness

Gretchen Harrison is an entrepreneur, mother, baker, philanthropist and pink enthusiast. Gretchen is also the owner of Alice + Kate Bakery located at 572 East Castle Pines Parkway, Suite A5 in Castle Pines, which opened in April. Gretchen believes there is no better way to celebrate family and friendship than through the art of togetherness, celebrating traditions and sharing great desserts. Alice + Kate is a boutique bakery that specializes in small batch, hand-made caramels and chocolates, assorted macarons, as well as curated gifts for gift giving and party planning.

Alice + Kate reflects Gretchen’s deep passion for baking, family and community. “The name Alice + Kate is deeply personal, inspired by the women in my family who introduced me to the joys of baking,” Harrison said. “So many happy memories came with the treats my grandmother Kate and aunt Alice would lovingly make, which is why family recipes now form the backbone of my bakery’s menu. These recipes have been woven through the fabric of my life, grounding me during my time in the fast-paced tech industry before helping me create more cherished moments with my children as I transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom. I have always dreamed of sharing these special treats with my community. Now, in this bakery, time-honored traditions meet a contemporary flair, breathing new life into the art of baking.”

Despite being armed with a finance degree from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Information Technology from University of Colorado Denver, Gretchen found more joy working in the restaurant industry. She enjoyed the fast pace of both the front-end and back-end operations of running a restaurant. Imagine the award-winning show “The Bear” but with a spunky German fashionista who could sling cocktails and craft entrees. She traded the heat of the south for the snowcapped mountains of Colorado and created a new life in Castle Pines. After going through the hurricane of being an empty nester, divorced and a health diagnosis, Gretchen’s dream of owning a bakery came to fruition and provided the opportunity to give back to her community of more than 20 years.

Gretchen starts her day as early as 5:00 a.m. with her running playlist blasting on her drive to the bakery. Her bakery currently does not employ a crew of minions to churn out these sweet indulgences—it is all Gretchen. She also does not rely on kitchen mixers, but the strength of her arms to churn out the perfect consistency of her macaron dough and filling. After finding out she has attention deficit disorder, Gretchen found the rhythm of hand mixing and repetitive stirring helped her focus and literally knead her love and care into each macaron shell. She prepares the filling the night before and typically makes 1,000 shells each day. Her dedication to her craft is seen in the details, from preparation to presentation. Customers are delighted with cheerful tissue paper wrapping the sweet treats and a signature pink bow on the macaron boxes and caramel canisters.

Gretchen’s indulgent confections include a caramel collection featuring an array of flavors such as maple praline pecan, bananas foster and chocolate pomegranate. The artisanal macarons span a spectrum of tastes from the refined lavender lemon, blackberry ganache, Champagne and Earl Grey honey, and maple bacon, to nodes of childhood cereal Cap’n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles. Additionally, handcrafted chocolates offered are white chocolate passion fruit caramel, milk chocolate toasted coconut and espresso ganache.

Fueled by her own personal journey, Gretchen’s desire to empower women in Colorado led to collaborations and partnerships with several local and woman-owned businesses for exceptional products. For example, the eggs she uses are sourced from Black Sheep Pastures, a family-operated farm in Fountain, Colorado. All of Alice + Kate’s vanilla comes from a local company called The Sweetest Bean, owned by two women who source their product from a Ugandan village. She uses the local Bjorn Honey and Colorado Mountain Jam in her macaron fillings. Gretchen eventually wants to expand the bakery to include a coffee bar and offer baking classes as well as events with pop ups highlighting local artisans and businesses.

For now, Gretchen is overwhelmed with gratitude for the success of her bakery since opening and has had to adjust the store hours for baking fulfillment needs. Alice + Kate offers online orders and shipping for her handmade treats. To learn more, visit aliceandkatebakery.com.

By ViVi Somphon