William Leaman

The Climb

A self-taught start gives William Leaman’s path a different shape than the usual school-to-kitchen route. It points to a working education built through repetition, judgment, and the kind of corrections that only show up in production. In 2005, as captain of the World Champion 2005 Bread Bakers Guild Team USA for the coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie at Bread Bakers Guild Team USA in Paris, France (2005), he worked at a level where bread is judged on timing, precision, and the coordination of a team under pressure. The move into Bakery Nouveau carried that same continuity. Since 2006, William Leaman has been co-owner and chef of Bakery Nouveau, a role that combines authorship with day-to-day responsibility. The work is not about reset; it is about holding a standard, then pushing it forward through the daily demands of the bakery.

Today

Leaman is chef and owner at Bakery Nouveau in Seattle, Washington. That title covers the practical reality: early starts, constant adjustment, and the discipline required to keep a bakery moving without losing control of the details. His own line about the work—“We are going to take it to the next level as far as product and variations go.”—reads as a production mindset. It is about extending the range of what the bakery can make while keeping the core intact.

Signature

William's signature dishes include Black Raspberry Jam, 70% Confection, Superior Cacao 80% Signature Blend (Chocolate Bar), The Bitter Nag®, and Pisa Haiti. The list moves across jam, confection, and chocolate, but the throughline is control: each name suggests a product built to land cleanly and read clearly. Black Raspberry Jam brings fruit into focus; 70% Confection and Superior Cacao 80% Signature Blend (Chocolate Bar) show a defined handle on cacao; The Bitter Nag® and Pisa Haiti extend that same approach into named signatures with their own distinct profiles.

In Their Words “I would love the opportunity to hold it one more time.” The line is short, but it lands in the register of a baker who knows what it means to make something peak once, then work to get back there. In a field built on timing and repeatability, wanting to “hold it one more time” says enough.

Recognition

William's honors include Good Food Award for Black Raspberry Jam (2024), Good Food Award for 70% Confection (2024), People's Choice Award for Best Bakery (2023), Good Food Award for Superior Cacao 80% Signature Blend (Chocolate Bar) (2022), Good Food Award for The Bitter Nag® (2020), and Good Food Award for Pisa Haiti (Chocolate Bar) (2020). The awards show a run of recognition across multiple products and years, not a single isolated hit. The Good Food Award for Black Raspberry Jam (2024) and Good Food Award for 70% Confection (2024) confirm range; the People's Choice Award for Best Bakery (2023) places the bakery itself in view; and the earlier Good Food Award for Superior Cacao 80% Signature Blend (Chocolate Bar) (2022), Good Food Award for The Bitter Nag® (2020), and Good Food Award for Pisa Haiti (Chocolate Bar) (2020) show that the work has held up over time. Together, they describe a bakery defined by repeatable standards and product that keeps earning attention.