A Sweet, Memorable, Gingerbread Collaboration

Project Managing the 2024 Holiday Gingerbread Display at the Willard Intercontinental

A Celebration of Artistry, Teamwork, and the Magic of the Holiday Season

The holiday season at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC, is always magical. In 2024, Ginger’s Breadboys was able to play a leading role in that magic as project manager of the collaborative effort to create the gingerbread display at the hotel.

Visitors were treated to a breathtaking gingerbread display showcasing some of the National Mall’s most iconic landmarks. This edible masterpiece was the result of months of planning, artistry, and technical precision, made possible by the efforts of Chef Mark Mills of Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm, Chef Melissa Miller of The Preppy Chef, Frederick Community College’s Hospitality, Culinary and Tourism Institute (FCC HCTI), Frederick County Public Schools Career and Technology Center (FCPS CTC), and by invitation, Ginger’s Breadboys. We were thrilled to have been asked and included.

The Vision and the Team

It all started with an ask between former colleagues. In the hospitality industry, when you work together at one place, no doubt you’ll cross paths again!

The project was the labor of passionate pastry chef and chocolatier, Mark Mills of Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm. Chef Mark spearheaded the effort beginning in March 2024. A trained chef, chocolatier, and instructor at FCC-HCTI, Chef Mills despite having never worked with gingerbread nonetheless organized and mentored the talented culinary students chosen to work on this team. Throughout the process – and to ensure that each structure met the highest standards of craftsmanship - he was joined by Chef Melissa Miller of The Preppy Chef, an experienced pastry chef who played a key role in coordinating student activities.

As the owner of Ginger’s Breadboys – and having been a project manager in another professional capacity – I joined the team at the invitation of Chef Mills to help project manage this effort. I had the privilege of helping coordinate and implement the plan to bring together all these talented individuals to create a holiday display that would captivate and delight visitors.

Edible Art: The Structures

The 2024 Holiday Gingerbread display featured an impressive 16 edible structures, each meticulously crafted from gingerbread or chocolate. 

The chocolate sculptures were created from 3D-printed molds and included the:

• Peace Monument,
• Garfield Monument,
• Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, and the
• District of Columbia War Memorial.

The remaining structures were constructed from laser-cut gingerbread, showcasing their architectural beauty and included the:

• United States Botanic Garden,
• National Museum of African Art,
• National Museum of the American Indian,
• Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle),
• Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
• Freer Gallery of Art,
• Washington Monument,
• National Museum of African American History and Culture,
• National Museum of Natural History,
• Pollinator Garden,
• National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink, and the
• National Gallery of Art East Building.
  

Merging Culinary Arts with Technology

One of the most innovative aspects of this project was the use of technology to ensure precision in the edible architecture. Working with a seasoned landscape architect, SketchUp drawings were flattened to create the gingerbread templates utilizing a software extension that enabled this “unwrapping” that would lay flat the 3D architectural drawings - on a plane - and thus enable the creation of templates on paper (or gingerbread) that guided the construction process. 

To achieve exacting detail, FCPS CTC CAD Architecture and CAD Engineering students used a laser cutter on dehydrated gingerbread, producing flawlessly cut panels for each structure. The CTC students also contributed to the overall aesthetic of the display by crafting intricate model details such as trees, shrubs, lamp posts, and planter boxes.

Additionally, with photographs and 3-D technology, Chef Mills, the chocolatier, was able to create molds for the monuments cast in chocolate.

The Grand Unveiling

After nearly nine months of preparation, the display was officially unveiled on December 9, 2024, at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. The reaction from guests, press, and the community was overwhelmingly positive. Visitors marveled at the accuracy and creativity of the edible National Mall, and the display was even featured in several media outlets, including:

• Frederick News Post
• Forbes
• Eater DC
• Historic Hotels of America

A Testament to Collaboration and Craftsmanship

This project was a testament to the power of collaboration, blending the talents of aspiring pastry chefs, seasoned culinary professionals, and skilled CAD students. It was an incredible experience to witness students applying their culinary and technical skills to bring such an ambitious vision to life. 

The 2024 holiday gingerbread display at the Willard Intercontinental was not just an exhibit—it was a celebration of artistry, teamwork, and the magic of the holiday season.

Ginger’s Breadboys was honored to have been a part of this project in the DMV.