Meet the Team
Igor Dernov - Founder & Lead Instructor
Igor began cooking for himself at just six years old in Uzbekistan and attempted his first “bread” around age seven, sparking a lifelong fascination with food. By fourteen, he was already working in a restaurant, helping the chef and learning the rhythms of a real kitchen. Years later, after moving to Albuquerque and building a career in IT, his passion for cooking never faded. He eventually built his own wood-fired brick oven by hand, a project that became the foundation for Sherwood Bread n Coffee a place where he now teaches hands-on sourdough, flatbread, baguette, and pizza classes with the same curiosity and joy that first inspired him as a child.
Volunteers
David and Deb
David and Deb are Master Food Preservers and Master Gardeners with NMSU / Bernalillo County Extension Service.
After taking bread classes with Sherwood Bread ’n’ Coffee, they began baking bread themselves and now enjoy working with all things food-related, teaching, sharing knowledge, and volunteering in the community.
Clare
After high school, Clare began cooking for herself and friends, finding joy in sharing food with the people she loved. Decades later, during Covid, she spent time in the kitchen with her family, trying her hand at creating special desserts with her sons.
After retiring from teaching, Clare searched for something new to fill her days, and she found it in bread baking, which quickly became her latest passion.
Supporting this newest hobby, Igor at Sherwood Coffee and Bread played an important role in Clare's bread baking journey. Igor helped Clare build confidence in her baking and introduced her to breads from around the world. His guidance helped enhance her love of baking, which Clare shares generously with family and friends.
Dagmar
Seasoned world traveler, genuine German import.
Foodie for as long as I can remember. Good bread and butter have been and are a constant staple in my diet. The Sherwood Bread and Coffee family introduced me to the joy of baking my own. No need to buy if you can create yourself.
I have been lucky enough to enjoy all of the jobs I had during my life, was it in television, hotel management or now property management. Made my home in Albuquerque. Great new friends, a wonderful garden and my animals help me over the occasional homesickness. Being an import has its own challenges. Looking forward to be active in a supporting role at Sherwood Bread and Coffee to see them grow and succeed in their endeavors.
Patricia
Patricia was born in Santiago, Chile, and immigrated as a young person to Miami, Florida with her family. Patricia was raised with traditional Chilean cooking by her parents, and as she grew older, she gravitated to the food service industry with a curiosity and love for cooking and sharing food with those in her community.
Patricia has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico for many years and enjoys making traditional Chilean empanadas for her children, family, and community. She even sells them!
Her interests continued to bloom and in efforts to build upon her culinary skills, she signed up for Sherwood n’ Coffee’s sourdough making class. Patricia was enthralled by Igor’s brick oven, his dynamic approach to cooking, and the joy of bread and pizza making. She is thrilled to be on Sherwood n’ Coffee’s beautifully diverse team!
John
John is a retired college professor who was raised in a fruit-growing family in the northern New
Mexico village of Velarde. His teaching career took him away from New Mexico for over forty
years and he recently moved back. He is passionate about food and, after taking several of
Igor's classes, is an avid baker.
Ronda
Ronda Brulotte is a cultural anthropologist research often takes her to Mexico, where she studies the relationships between food, identity, and regional traditions.
An avid cook and baker, she brings the same curiosity to the kitchen that she brings to her research, finding inspiration in the histories and stories behind the dishes she prepares. She has learned culinary techniques from instructors around the world, including Thailand, China, and Georgia.
In 2025, she earned a diploma in Mexican Culture and Gastronomy from the Escuela de Gastronomía Mexicana in Mexico City.
Suttinee
Suttinee is a bioanalytical researcher from Thailand who moved to New Mexico with her husband, Aldo, to continue their research paths.
She grew up in a family where meals were prepared fresh every day. Her grandmother picked vegetables from the garden, and her grandfather brought meat and eggs from the farm.
During school breaks, Suttinee spent time in the kitchen with her grandmother, tasting food and helping with preparation, which shaped her appreciation for homemade dishes. Bread was also part of her daily life, with her mother preparing sandwiches and visiting the bakery each morning.
It is no surprise that Suttinee became a bread lover, though she did not begin baking until she grew tired of eating grocery store bread. Searching for a way to bake from scratch led her to baking classes at Sherwood Coffee ’n’ Bread, where she learned to make sourdough, flatbreads, and pizza. These experiences inspired her to join the volunteer team, and she is happy to be part of it.