Flitting along the creaky checked floors of The Nectary, Chef Mary Garrison moves behind her pastry case with ease. Dressed in a spotless black chef’s coat, her gentle voice fills the petite patisserie as she packs boxes with flaky almond croissants, key lime cupcakes, and slices of tiramisu roulade. Reaching behind the glass for a Honeymoon Chocolate Chip Cookie, she remarks to the regular she’s serving, “You got this one last time, didn’t you?” The cookie is one of her favorites, complete with honey-sweetened chocolate chips and a sprinkle of fleur de sel for a salty crunch.
Garrison’s precision as a pastry chef and person can be seen in every detail of The Nectary, from the tightly rolled sticky buns to the door handles shaped like whisks and rolling pins. Several years after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2005, Garrison moved to Moore County to raise her three children. Seeing the need for a shop promoting sustainability, Garrison launched Willabee Market in Southern Pines in 2022, providing the community with a place to buy bulk goods, handmade soaps, honey from her own hives, and more.
“I was selling my honey and desserts at the market, which I loved — but I always hoped to open a space dedicated solely to baked goods.”
When a family in Vass contacted Garrison about their vacant building on Bank Street, she saw an opportunity to draw more visitors to different side of Moore County…