An interview with the tastemakers from Portland Cider Co. & Blue Star Donuts

Deron Davenport, Portland Cider Co.’s Head Cider Maker and R&D extraordinaire is happy to call Portland his home. An Oregon native, Deron has fallen in love with Portland by eating his way through the city, which we all know is the best way to experience it! He had his first Blue Star Donut back when they opened in 2012 and has been in love with the beautiful brioche donuts ever since.

His love for their flagship Blueberry Bourbon Basil donut inspired him in one of his original home fermentation tests back in 2013. When he joined Portland Cider Co. in 2014, owners Jeff & Lynda encouraged Deron to create fun new ciders. The Blueberry Bourbon Basil cider was at the top of his list, as an homage to his favorite donut company!

He reached out to Blue Star Donuts to start a collaboration in cider form. Over the years, the collaboration turned into a friendship. Along with our friends, he crafted what was once a one-off taproom release cider, which turned into a popular Portland Cider Co. seasonal available in cans. 

Deron is inspired by this city every day. Portland has become a city known for creativity and high-quality craftsmanship in so many ways, but especially in the food and beverage industry. To showcase some of this, especially at Blue Star Donuts, he sat down with Stephanie Thornton, the Executive Pastry Chef at Blue Star Donut, to get all the details behind the culinary genius in the Blue Star Donut Kitchen. She’s been with the company since its inception in 2012 has a blast cookin’ up all the donuts you know and love! 

D: Tell me about your culinary background.

S: I have my BS in baking and pastry from Johnson & Wales University. After graduating I worked in kitchens in New York for years. I worked at the Four Seasons Hotel and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay among others. And yes, I met him briefly a few times. The most memorable was when a coworker and I were cleaning up after service one night and playing really loud music, goofing off. He popped into the kitchen to let us know we could be heard in the dining room. We turned it down a bit. 

D: How did you start at Blue Star?

S: I’m from the East Coast and met my husband in NYC where we were both working in NY kitchens. He’s a chef. He’s also a Portland native. In 2012 we decided to move to his home state and I found an ad for a new donut shop looking for a pastry chef. I applied and got the job and it was a whirlwind after that. What followed were days and nights of perfecting a fermented brioche donut dough - a whole new challenge that never stops being challenging. There weren’t many people doing that at the time, so we didn’t have a lot to go on, but it was truly exciting, experimental, and frustrating. Embracing the excitement, experimentation (and frustration) is still my favorite part of the job. 

D: How did the Portland Cider relationship start?

S: Back in 2012 we were walking across the street to get cans of Strongbow Cider from the crew at Ma and Pa Market (on 12th and Washington in Downtown Portland) to make our apple cider fritter glaze. There weren’t really any other options. A year later, Portland Cider was born and we discovered Kinda Dry. I had been looking for a dry cider that would tone down the sugar in the glaze, so it was perfect. We immediately switched ciders and made some awesome, creative friends in the mix. 

D: What’s your favorite thing about Blue Star?

S: I love to take people out of their comfort zone with new, unexpected flavors. The experimentation has always been the best part, and we’re super lucky to be surrounded by a community that is excited to go along with it. 

D: Tell me one random fact about yourself.

S: I have a black belt in karate. I’ve only had to use it twice. 

D: What cider flavor do you want to create?

S: I’d do a Harvey Walbanger cider. Start with an orangey cider and bring in that Galiano flavor with some anise, juniper, lavender, and vanilla. My dog’s name is Harvey so we’d have to put his face on the can, obviously.

S:Also, now I have to ask you the same...what donut flavor do you want to create, Deron?

D:  I love savory and sweet, so a Thai inspired donut would be fun. Maybe a coconut curry donut with Thai Tea glaze and candied lime peel sprinkles. I was a baker before I started making cider, so it’s fun to think about getting back into the kitchen.