ABOUT

OWNER/ EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF/ CAKE ARTIST

Nickol Hayden-Cady’s journey in the kitchen began not with a spark, but a quiet, steady flame that has burned since childhood. Raised in kitchens from the West to the East Coast, the kitchen has always been a sacred space for her—a place where hands move with love, where ingredients are transformed into stories, and where the heart and soul of a dish emerge. By 21, she had crossed the vast Atlantic, stepping into the timeless rhythm of European kitchens where tradition and craft wove together, shaping the artist she is today.

For Nickol, the kitchen is more than a space—it's a sanctuary, a place where nature’s whispers and the seasons’ songs guide every creation. Bisavo, her Portuguese grandmother, rooted in her the understanding that food is a lifeline, a gift, and a reflection of the earth’s spirit. In her teachings, Nickol learned the power of hard work, the beauty of simplicity, and the sacred dance between soil and table. These lessons planted deep within her the desire to honor the land and all it offers, to create food that is as pure and enchanting as the earth itself.

Whimsical as the forest that cradles her imagination, Nickol’s creations bloom from a love of nature—lush forests, rolling fields, and the quiet magic of a farm waking at dawn. Each dish, each pastry, is a tribute to the land's infinite beauty and the heartbeat of every recipe she writes.

In 2013, Foxtail was born—not from a fleeting thought, but from the tender love she carried for her son, who in the womb was known as Baby Foxtail. He was a gift, a beacon of light in her life, and his name became the symbol of her dream—a whimsical space, a haven for the community, where people could come together and lose themselves in the decadence of thoughtful food, exquisite pastries, and carefully crafted coffee & cocktails. In this space, the beauty of nature and the art of baking intertwine, inviting everyone to savor not just a bite, but a moment of joy.

Now, nestled in Bend, Oregon for over 23 years, Nickol continues to follow where the land leads, creating in the quiet, poetic rhythms of nature. She is an award-winning pastry chef, a wedding cake artist, and a dreamer who brings beauty to life in every delicate creation. Her vision, ever unfolding, is the dream of a teahouse and dessert bar—a place where nature’s bounty meets the whimsical charm of a forest retreat, where every sip and bite is an invitation to pause, to savor, and to be in awe of the simple beauty of life.

For over twenty seven years, Nickol has traveled through the kitchens of the world, from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, to the finest kitchens of California, New York, London, and Oregon. Along the way, she has learned from the masters—Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard award winners, and culinary visionaries who share her reverence for food as art, food as soul.

After passing on the torch of her beloved Foxtail Bakeshop & Kitchen space in 2022, Nickol’s journey continued. She has consulted across the West Coast, and in Winter 2023, she released her first cookbook, Foxtail Bakeshop Presents... Treats from the Den. Now, she is poised to open her dream—a teahouse and dessert bar in Bend, Oregon

In everything Nickol does, she seeks to capture the essence of beauty—both the fleeting and the eternal—and to share it with the world. Through her work, she invites others to find joy in the simple pleasures, to pause in wonder, and to taste the magic that exists in every season, every harvest, and every bite.