Victorian-era bakery priced to undercut competing Annex homes. Open this photo in gallery: Sydnia Yu. Special to The Globe and Mail. Published February 27, 2015 Updated February 27, 2015. A Victoria Sponge was the favorite sponge cake of Queen Victoria, and has since become a tried-and-true recipe for tea-time sponge cakes. Victoria Sponges are generally filled with jam, and are undecorated on the top, but you can serve each piece with a dollop of whipped cream, or shake some powdered sugar over the top if you'd like.
It all started with a book
How We Got Our Name
Who We Are
Gideon's Today
In October 2016, Gideon’s opened up its first physical shop at the beautiful East End Market, Central Florida’s original food hall, with one employee (miss you Megan) and an $800 budget. Within weeks of opening, that little 286 square foot bakery was being called Best Cookies in Orlando, Florida, the United States, and the Planet Earth from publications ranging from New York Times to The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, Delish.com and countless more. We’ve been featured several times on Insider Magazine, People Magazine, and even made it all the way over to Food Network Brazil!
It's all been an overwhelming rush of growing pains for a little local business with a single owner, no investors, and tiny staff but, encouraged by our community, we strived to meet demand better and begin to grow. In June of 2020, Gideon's announced its first Flagship location in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. With one giant leap, all the doors are open for the future.
The Mission Statement
Gideon's Bakehouse began in a home kitchen with one goal: to create an extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookie. Fifteen years and thousands of tests later, the work was complete. Our Cookie isn't a product. It is a history, the sweet and the salty, the thrill of a first kiss, and the solitude of a heartbreak. Our desserts are emotional, personal, and we want to share our journey with you. We stay true to the original process, cutting no corners, putting every handmade detail into the 20 hours required to prepare a single almost half pound Cookie or a tall slice of Cake. We offer up our best expressions to you with a full-hearted invitation to learn more about one another. It is an opportunity to create an experience to remember. That is our brand.
Awards & recognition
Best Place in the World to get a Cookies - The Boston Globe
Best Dessert in Orlando Award - Orlando Sentinel
Best New Restaurants of 2017 - Orlando Weekly
Victorian Era Baker Costume
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie In Florida 2019 - Insider Magazine
6.5 Million View Feature - Insider Magazine
19 Best Places to Eat in Orlando - Spoon University
Steve named one of the Top 10 Upscale Pastry Chefs in Florida - Visit Orlando
Must Visit in Orlando - New York Times
5 Outrageous Sweets Around Town - Orlando Sentinel
Victorian Era Names
One of the 6 Best Cakes in Orlando - Visit Orlando
3 Business Ruling the Instagram Game - South Street & Co.
Top 10 Best Cookies in the U.S. - Sports Illustrated
Best Cake Award - lemonhearted.com & orlandoeats.net
#1 on the 9 Best Things to do in Orlando - Elite Daily
News Feature Listing Gideon’s as an example of “How Disney Changes the game by featuring Orlando Flavors” - USA Today
5 Must Eat Winter Park Desserts - Orlando Food Tours
Top 10 Essential Central Florida Experiences - Orlandodatenightguide.com
Appearance on House Hunters - HGTV
Visit from pop sensation Charlie Puth before his Amway Arena Show
Earth’s Best Cookies and One of the 5 Foods in the US you have to eat before you die - Travel Pulse / Trip Advisor
Best Dessert in Florida Award - Delish.com
Best Desserts in Orlando Award - Orlando Sentinel
Steve Lewis
The Sublime Prince of the Esoteric Order of Cookie
Steve is the owner and creator of Gideon’s Bakehouse. His story began in sadness at a young age when he realized his community was lacking a great chocolate chip cookie. As a result, he is the one that took 15 years to create the Gideon’s Cookie because A) it is a uniquely difficult recipe or B) he is a terrible baker. The truth likely lies between the two. He will tell you the secret ingredient in a Gideon’s Cookie is his tears. Outside of the kitchen, Steve is a vocal music major that enjoys photography, collecting books, and watching cartoons. He loves all animals and has two weird cats, Vincent the Poet, and Savant the White.
Michael Reyes
Branding Overlord
When we found Michael, he was locked away in a bell tower, surrounded by countless drawings of his horrible little creatures. Now, from that very tower, he keeps a watchful eye on the Gideon’s brand, nervously mulling over every detail of design. When he’s not worrying about the quality of work he has done, Michael enjoys stressing over the images he has yet to produce.
Kelsey Barrett
Starship Captain of the USS East End Market Location
Kelsey joined the Gideon’s family after being rescued from a big corporate machine. In a recent interview with herself, she exclaimed: “I wanted to be part of something special, something I believed in, and that in turn believed in me!” She communicates best through movie quotes and memes and fancies herself an excellent dancer though a third party can’t verify this as she only dances at the very moment she leaves your field of vision.