Latest / The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast / Episode 53 What If The Best Wedding Cake Is The One Built For Flavor: Gataeu Monique Bakery

Transcript

Episode 53 What If The Best Wedding Cake Is The One Built For Flavor: Gataeu Monique Bakery · The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Preferred List, podcast about the people behind the best wedding days.
0:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm James, a wedding filmmaker.
0:06
SPEAKER_02: I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen.
0:14
SPEAKER_02: Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way.
0:20
SPEAKER_02: Let's meet today's wedding vendor.
0:22
SPEAKER_02: Monique, how's it going?
0:23
SPEAKER_00: Great! It's a beautiful day, and thank you so much for having me on.
0:27
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, thanks for being on.
0:28
SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited.
0:29
SPEAKER_02: Monique runs Ghetto Monique Bakery, and I'm so excited to jump into all things baked goods and the tips and tricks that you have for couples, and even some that you might have for vendors.
0:42
SPEAKER_02: Before we go any further, let's stop to talk about the location for today's podcast episode.
0:47
SPEAKER_02: Antrim 1844 is truly a dream destination wedding venue.
0:52
SPEAKER_02: Known for its exquisite cuisine and stunning gardens, the estate provides an ideal setting for both ceremony and your reception.
1:00
SPEAKER_02: Choose from the versatile locations like the classic formal English T Rose Garden or the chic weatherproof glass-enclosed pavilion ballroom.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: Your dedicated wedding coordinator will ensure every aspect of your day is flawless, from the artful cocktail hour in the mansion's drawing rooms to the exceptional dining experience crafted by their executive chef.
1:20
SPEAKER_02: Located in Tawnytown, Maryland, the 24-acre estate is proudly listed on the National Historic Register.
1:27
SPEAKER_02: And it features a majestic mansion complemented by 11 outbuildings for a total of 40 beautifully appointed guest rooms, offering an all-inclusive event experience.
1:45
SPEAKER_02: Monique's got a special little spot in this podcast because we've only had one other bakery on.
1:51
SPEAKER_02: And so I'm excited to pick your brain and kind of see, you know, some of the stuff that you've learned over the years.
1:57
SPEAKER_02: So give me a give me a little insight on how all of this started.
2:01
SPEAKER_02: How did Gateau Monique start for you?
2:03
SPEAKER_00: Well, it's a long story about um kind of how the business got going, but I appreciate that we're here kind of doing the interview at Antrim.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: Um, Antrim 1844 was actually my job during college.
2:17
SPEAKER_00: Um so, like 20 years ago when I was in college, I needed a job going to school full-time.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: I worked full-time, so it was a little crazy.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: But I had already um finished my culinary degree.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: So it was great to work in a kitchen and go to school for business and economics.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: So as I was working here, working weddings, um, meeting brides and grooms, meeting other vendors, I kind of saw a little bit of a need um for my baking skills.
2:46
SPEAKER_00: Like not every couple wanted super extravagant.
2:51
SPEAKER_00: Uh, some couples just really wanted a good cake, something that tasted really good.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: They really weren't concerned for the over-the-top uh, you know, magazine type of cake.
3:03
SPEAKER_00: So I thought, I think I can kind of fill a little bit of a void and make a little side money, you know, while I'm working.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: So I kind of started with a few friends, and the extra money was very helpful to buy college books because you know, school books are expensive.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: And um, the the word started getting out.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: People just started calling me saying, like, hey, I had your cake.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: It was at an event, an anniversary party, whatever.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, I'd really love a Monique cake.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, well, there's no such thing as a Monique cake, but my name is Monique, and I do bake cakes.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: So it really started on a small kind of level like that.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: Then I finished school, got my degree in business and economics.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: I had kind of big dreams of going into more of the corporate world.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: And then I had this incredible interview and around this giant, you know, corporate table, being interviewed by like 12 different people.
3:57
SPEAKER_00: The guy kind of pulled me aside after this big interview and said, you know, you you did great.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: Like we would give you the job tomorrow.
4:05
SPEAKER_00: But I really feel like your heart is like baking and kind of running this little side business that you have.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: And I said, I think you're right.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: Like, I know this sounds crazy.
4:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, what am I doing?
4:16
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is like the path seems so great.
4:19
SPEAKER_00: Corporate job, all the benefits, climb the ladder, do all the stuff.
4:23
SPEAKER_00: And he's like, I don't know, just go home and think about it.
4:26
SPEAKER_00: Like, I really think you love this.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: So I did, and I said no to that job and just kept pursuing little by little more cakes.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: And every year it kind of started to grow slowly, but it was growing and I was doing more cakes, and I was still working at Antrim and cooking.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: And then I'd leave there and go home and bake till 3 a.m.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: And it just kind of became crazy.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: And and finally in 2014, I was like, I have to choose something.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: I can't do both.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is kind of taking over my life.
4:57
SPEAKER_00: And I had two very small children.
4:59
SPEAKER_00: And um, on a whim, I was like, okay, I'm just going all in.
5:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna do it.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: And a week later, a week, two weeks later, I saw this tiny little for rent sign in uh Littles town that said, uh, old barber shop, now the space was for rent.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: I called.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: Uh the guy came, showed me the room.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: It was one little room, like 400 square feet, and I said, I'll take it.
5:24
SPEAKER_00: Like it's someplace to start.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: So since then, you know, we're going on 12 years running a full retail shop, have grown through the years, now across the street in a giant building, like four or five times.
5:37
SPEAKER_02: That is a very large pot on the way here.
5:39
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, wait a minute, I'm interviewing that person soon.
5:42
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: And it's beautiful and we love it, and we're just such a community hub now, starting with all the cakes, but now full retail bakery.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: And um, it's just through the years, it's been amazing to see it start from this tiny little seat of baking cakes out of my little apartment to now a full shop.
5:59
SPEAKER_02: Gosh, that's so cool.
6:00
SPEAKER_02: And I have so many questions, but I want to start by saying when we do cake cutting as a videographer, we're there, we capture it.
6:06
SPEAKER_02: It is always so funny when the couple goes, Oh, that's actually really good.
6:10
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
6:10
SPEAKER_02: It's like they don't expect it to be good.
6:12
SPEAKER_02: It's like, did y'all not taste this before?
6:15
SPEAKER_00: I know, I know, but and I think that's it.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: So many couples like get into like these gorgeous cakes, and like you don't want to cut them, they're so pristine and whatever.
6:24
SPEAKER_00: And then I always felt like you want it to taste really good.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: Like you want people to remember, like it was delicious, it wasn't just beautiful.
6:32
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: So I always felt like that was my thing.
6:35
SPEAKER_02: It's so funny.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: Like, oh, this is actually really good.
6:37
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'd hope it'd be good.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: I know, right?
6:39
SPEAKER_00: You paid a lot of money.
6:40
SPEAKER_02: So I'm I'm just thinking back to the culinary you, right?
6:44
SPEAKER_02: And maybe just maybe you can open my eyes to this kind of concept of like how weird or not weird is it for you to be in the culinary world and like jump from that to like heavy on the baking side of things.
7:00
SPEAKER_02: Right.
7:00
SPEAKER_02: Is it like a common thing?
7:02
SPEAKER_02: Is it just kind of a little niche within the culinary world?
7:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would say for most people in the culinary world, that's very unheard of.
7:11
SPEAKER_00: Most people, you're a cook or you're a baker.
7:13
SPEAKER_00: You don't do both.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: And many cooks are like, I don't bake, I I just do everything by feel.
7:18
SPEAKER_00: Everything's a pinch, or you know, taste it for more salt and pepper.
7:22
SPEAKER_00: Baking is like very precise.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, you add some extra fruit, and now the cake's too heavy and it didn't bake properly.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: So there is definitely two different worlds, but I like both.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: And I love cooking.
7:37
SPEAKER_00: And I still do some savory things at the shop, especially on Saturday mornings, a lot of quiche and like savory hand pies and things like that.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: So I still incorporate a lot of my cooking food knowledge and all that sort of thing.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: And then the baking I love because I feel really creative.
7:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
7:54
SPEAKER_00: And I love the very specific and science behind it.
7:59
SPEAKER_00: And too much of something, it's not gonna turn out.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: So like I love following the recipe.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: I love just sticking to it.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: Hey, if I mix it the three minutes at medium speed, yeah, you know, whip the whites exactly to medium peaks, fold them in in the proper way, it's gonna turn out.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: Like, I love the technical part of that.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, and just all of the little intricacies with like melting chocolate and you know, making uh traditional Italian meringue buttercream and making this meringue first.
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Like, I love that.
8:32
SPEAKER_00: So I like both, but it is not common that you find someone that does both.
8:37
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so what you said when you were working here in the kitchen, you saw there was like a need for it.
8:44
SPEAKER_02: When you saw there was a need, had you done any baking before that?
8:48
SPEAKER_00: So baking in a small scale, like culinary school for me, I did cooking and baking.
8:54
SPEAKER_00: My school offered not just one degree or the other, but it kind of incorporated both.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: So I I did know how to bake.
9:01
SPEAKER_00: That wasn't my specialty.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: And it to be honest, it's it's kind of tough to find a baking job.
9:09
SPEAKER_00: Well, in in those days at least, or just a pastry job.
9:12
SPEAKER_00: Because many times, like in a professional kitchen, you'll have eight or ten cooks and one pastry person, maybe two.
9:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, and unless you get into a really large resort or like a cruise ship or something like that.
9:23
SPEAKER_02: It's a hard job to come by.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: It is.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: It's not easy to kind of find a position where you can just be the pastry chef at that restaurant.
9:32
SPEAKER_02: Everyone wants cake.
9:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
9:33
SPEAKER_02: And desserts.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: I know, right?
9:35
SPEAKER_00: So it it was kind of cool that I loved working here at Antrim.
9:40
SPEAKER_00: And under um the chef at that time, he was very knowledgeable in pastry.
9:45
SPEAKER_00: He had been a pastry chef and had studied in France.
9:50
SPEAKER_00: Casual.
9:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:51
SPEAKER_00: So I learned so much.
9:52
SPEAKER_00: And and I really, I think that just made my kind of love for pastry go even a little further, learning some really technical things under him.
10:01
SPEAKER_00: And um, then realizing, like, hey, I'm cooking, I'm kind of doing more of the pastry thing.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: Even here at Antrim, I was doing a little more pastry, and and then just seeing all the brides and grooms come through and just feeling like, okay, some of them are, you know, not even in tune with their wedding cake.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: They're just like picking a random baker because it's available, or they're like paying super high dollar for a cake that didn't even taste good, you know, or a part of like the the cutting, and they're like, it's okay, but it looked really beautiful.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: So I just really kind of felt like, hey, I think there's a need for this.
10:35
SPEAKER_00: And there's for for someone like me, like I'd really get into the the ingredients part, like I want it to be really good eggs and really good, like the cream and the fruit, fresh, like local stuff.
10:47
SPEAKER_00: I didn't see anyone doing that.
10:49
SPEAKER_00: No one was like trying to source like the best stuff, they were just like making cakes.
10:54
SPEAKER_00: So I I was really like, I think I can do this.
10:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
10:58
SPEAKER_02: So you got the kind of passion from here, which is so cool that we're here back here.
11:03
SPEAKER_01: I know.
11:04
SPEAKER_02: Um when you started though, were you thinking like I'm gonna jump into this business idea and I'm just gonna roll with it?
11:14
SPEAKER_02: Like, what was that like when you first started the the business side of things?
11:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: So that for me was very um scary, but also um it kind of goes with my personality.
11:27
SPEAKER_00: Like in in college, I was a business and economics major.
11:31
SPEAKER_00: So I loved we would do case studies of like businesses and how they got going, and like big ones like Starbucks and just incredible stories.
11:38
SPEAKER_00: And I would read these little case studies, and I'm like, I had that entrepreneur.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, something like that.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: Like something like that's so cool.
11:46
SPEAKER_00: Like they just took their passion, they took their idea, they took the thing that they saw they need the need for, and then they made this incredible business.
11:54
SPEAKER_00: So I always kind of had that underneath.
11:56
SPEAKER_00: And um, but I was also very scared of like, oh, you have to step out on your own.
12:01
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
12:02
SPEAKER_00: But some people are like risking everything, they're putting their entire lives, their homes, their cars, whatever, like everything to make a business happen.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: I was like, I don't know.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: Like you kind of teeter on the edge, like, I don't know if I'm ready to just jump off the cliff.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: And um, once again, I like I said, I had two very small children, a two-year-old, and I'm my other daughter was like six months old.
12:26
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of scary.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, most people don't jump into a business with two very small children, but I just really felt like that was like my future.
12:36
SPEAKER_00: That was my purpose.
12:37
SPEAKER_00: I needed to do it.
12:38
SPEAKER_00: If I didn't, I'd have a lot of regrets, like looking back, like why didn't it work?
12:43
SPEAKER_00: Right.
12:43
SPEAKER_00: Why didn't I take the the chance?
12:45
SPEAKER_00: And I thought, you know, this is this is the time.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes all the stars don't align to this perfect setting of like, oh yeah, I have exactly the right amount of money and I have the exact right amount of everything.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't always look like that.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it looks like, no, this is like all in or not.
13:02
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're taking a chance a little bit.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: And and that's exactly kind of what it was.
13:06
SPEAKER_02: If if there's a vendor that's listening that like has had a dream or a passion that, like, oh, I really want to start this sign shop or I really want to start this bakery, I want to really want to just jump in and go all in photography.
13:18
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, what would you say to them, you know, to to help them kind of like get over that last little hump of like going all in, like you were saying?
13:27
SPEAKER_00: I would definitely say if it is your true passion and that's those feelings are big, and you wake up every day and you kind of think about it, and then tomorrow and it's still there, do it.
13:39
SPEAKER_00: Like definitely do it, but also do your research.
13:42
SPEAKER_00: Like, I I I do say I jumped all in, but I had done a lot of back work of like permits and what was possible in my little town, and what was possible um for on a bigger scale of like shows and uh the venues where I would be taking these cakes.
14:00
SPEAKER_00: Like I did some back research.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't just like, I mean, I was studious, so I did my homework, um, but I didn't just go into it.
14:09
SPEAKER_02: It helps that you had the business major behind that too.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Very helpful, very helpful.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: So I would definitely say follow your passion.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, about eight or nine years ago, I actually was invited to go speak at my culinary school to the graduating class, which was really such an honor.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: And I was very, like, felt very humbled.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: But that was kind of my speech to the students is follow your passion.
14:33
SPEAKER_00: Like you may find out that you don't love cooking a year from now, but find the thing that you are passionate about and like do it.
14:42
SPEAKER_00: So I am always here to encourage like the next person who's like on the edge of like I could start a business or I may not or I don't know.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely do it.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: But don't just go into it completely blindfolded and like buy all this equipment and then find out like you don't even have your permits.
14:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
14:58
SPEAKER_00: Like do your homework.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: Like, and I've heard these stories.
15:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm on all these auction sites for like restaurants and bakery equipment.
15:07
SPEAKER_00: And some of them are people who went all in and got all of their equipment and did all their things in to just find out like their town or their little area doesn't even support the zoning for that type of business.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: And you're like, okay, maybe you should have started.
15:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, maybe we should have looked that up first.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
15:26
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm curious, like in the early years of the bakery business, was there a point where you sat back and you're like, Oh wow, this is actually working.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: And and like, and why?
15:38
SPEAKER_02: Like, why like you're sitting back and you're like, oh man, wait, what?
15:42
SPEAKER_00: I know.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: This is all going maybe better than I expected.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: It there was.
15:47
SPEAKER_00: So I mean, I don't want to say it was all sunshine and rainbows because the first three years of running a small retail shop and really trying to focus on the cakes and taking the orders.
15:58
SPEAKER_00: And and I actually, when I started, kind of had a three-part business.
16:02
SPEAKER_00: I was doing some wholesale orders for a couple local restaurants and coffee shops.
16:07
SPEAKER_00: So they would get pastries or desserts each week, and then the cakes, the weddings, and doing some wedding shows and trying to really get my name out there.
16:15
SPEAKER_00: And then the retail shop, which was really tiny when it first started, you'd walk in, it was like one or two people could fit in the shop.
16:23
SPEAKER_00: And I had like a pastry case and some like daily uh scones and Danish and things like that, and trying to figure that out of like, okay, what do I focus more on?
16:33
SPEAKER_00: Like the wholesale, do I try to push the weddings more?
16:36
SPEAKER_02: Because they could each be their own business model, basically.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: And I was doing kind of combining all three.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: And the first three years, it was tricky to kind of see, okay, what's more profitable?
16:50
SPEAKER_00: Where's my time and attention best served, that sort of thing.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: And after I made it past those three years, and I should say a lot of life happened for me in those first three years.
17:00
SPEAKER_00: A lot.
17:01
SPEAKER_00: That may be another another podcast day.
17:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, but a lot of things.
17:05
SPEAKER_00: My kids were really little, um, their dad had passed away, just a ton of stuff.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: And um, those first three years after making it past that, I very much had a moment where I sat back, I'm like, I can't believe we're still operating and we're growing.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: And like the community is super supportive.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: They love having a bakery in this town.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm getting more phone calls.
17:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm getting more people from out of town coming.
17:29
SPEAKER_00: Like, that was really cool to feel like I had reached that point where the name was like had gone far beyond the small town.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
17:39
SPEAKER_02: And you're almost like life is crumbling in a way, in many ways, maybe.
17:43
SPEAKER_02: And it's like, wait, this is still like that risk you took three years ago is is paying off in this moment now.
17:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
17:51
SPEAKER_02: Um if you could describe kind of what your bakery style is, maybe it could be just in general, but it could be specific to like wedding cakes.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
18:02
SPEAKER_02: Um, how would you describe that style?
18:05
SPEAKER_00: Well, I would definitely say we've stayed true from the first day that I opened till now, but it has grown up.
18:13
SPEAKER_00: I feel like we're the more sophisticated version of like how it all started.
18:18
SPEAKER_00: But uh my style is really like from scratch, classical style baking, um, a lot of European kind of flavors and techniques.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: So even though the name ghetto is French and my name Monique is French, I am not French.
18:34
SPEAKER_00: A lot of people come in and start speaking French to me, and I'm like, sorry, just English.
18:39
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I I really, you know, I feel like I trained in a lot of classical techniques and styles and old school um way of baking and cooking.
18:50
SPEAKER_00: So I love that.
18:51
SPEAKER_00: I love staying true to really like the classics.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: And really, I love the area that the bakery's in.
18:58
SPEAKER_00: We're surrounded by farms.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: So I source as many local things as possible.
19:03
SPEAKER_00: Um, we still get milk and glass bottles.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know.
19:06
SPEAKER_02: I mean, you were saying before we recorded that it's even growing.
19:08
SPEAKER_00: Like it's incredible.
19:10
SPEAKER_02: The farming community is even getting bigger.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is.
19:13
SPEAKER_00: And all of our eggs are from a farm where we've gone and seen the chickens in the field, like uh the fruit.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: We work with a few local orchards.
19:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, we are getting produce now from another local farm who sells a lot of farmers markets in the area, and he is so excited to work with a bakery for the first time.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: So we're buying like a lot of his carrots and his lettuces and things like that.
19:37
SPEAKER_00: So very, very cool.
19:39
SPEAKER_00: I like to say that we are just a classic style old school traditional bakery, like bringing it back to like 1950s, where you know your farmer and you know exactly where the food's coming from.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: And if we still answer a real telephone and we don't have an online ordering system, and you don't walk into a kiosk where you punch, you know, on a screen, it's a real life person and like people there to greet you and tell you about the pastry and how we made it and you know that sort of thing.
20:10
SPEAKER_02: I feel like that it's it's almost like this like it's a retro thing now to be like in person and not like super techie.
20:17
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
20:18
SPEAKER_02: Um, so it's interesting that you're kind of referencing that too.
20:22
SPEAKER_02: Um when you're working with couples planning for their wedding, and they're are they coming to you with tons of ideas about cakes, or are they generally like, we have no idea, tell us all, like, tell us everything.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: Well, I would say it's kind of split down the middle.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: A lot of times they don't have ideas about cakes.
20:42
SPEAKER_00: They have seen a picture or you know, on a Pinterest board of like, oh, I like these styles.
20:47
SPEAKER_00: So that's always nice.
20:49
SPEAKER_00: I do kind of I I really like to chat with them and see what are your thoughts.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, are you very opinionated about cakes?
20:56
SPEAKER_00: Some people are like, I can tell you right away, we hate coconut.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: Or like, hey, we love chocolate.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: Anything you can do with chocolate.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: So I always appreciate when there's some sort of starting point, not like I have no clue.
21:10
SPEAKER_00: This was the last thing on my list.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're coming to get the cake because our parents are making us and not kidding.
21:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm having that more and more like we don't even like cake.
21:20
SPEAKER_02: I I want to talk to you about that too, once we're through the style thing, but we'll we'll get through style first.
21:25
SPEAKER_00: So that that the starting point is always good, whether they have the opinions or they don't.
21:31
SPEAKER_00: At least it's something where I can say, okay, so you don't like cake, let's start there.
21:35
SPEAKER_00: Or okay, you don't like coconut, not a problem.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: Lots of other options.
21:39
SPEAKER_00: But really, I try to make it pretty personal.
21:42
SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't have a generic like order off this sheet, um, here are all the flavors, pick one.
21:48
SPEAKER_00: I really just try to get to know them and see what you like or what do you absolutely do not like.
21:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, sometimes that's really helpful.
21:57
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then kind of go from there of like, okay.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Hey, are you really into the super formal?
22:03
SPEAKER_00: Or do you like the rustic style cakes where it's like the naked style where there's not much frosting?
22:09
SPEAKER_00: Um, are you into it?
22:10
SPEAKER_02: I'm a fan of that because I like the frosting to be a little bit less.
22:13
SPEAKER_00: But that's just about it.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: And and I like that trend as well because sometimes I think the the focus is more on just the flavor, not all the things.
22:21
SPEAKER_02: Well, it's still like you're saying it's gonna be a delicious cake.
22:24
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
22:24
SPEAKER_02: So that if that's happening, then you know the couple can really kind of decorate, have it decorate.
22:29
SPEAKER_02: Not that they're decorating themselves, but right.
22:31
SPEAKER_00: So I I that is that is a very good question because I always like to start there.
22:35
SPEAKER_00: Like, what are your thoughts?
22:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, how do you feel about wedding cakes?
22:39
SPEAKER_00: And a lot of opinions come out with that first question.
22:42
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
22:43
SPEAKER_02: So I did, I was literally thinking that same thing that you just brought up, that like it almost feels like cakes might be like on their way out.
22:53
SPEAKER_00: I know.
22:54
SPEAKER_02: And I don't know, I don't know.
22:55
SPEAKER_02: I maybe I'm maybe I'm just talking out of my butt, but I it feels like they're on their way out in the sense of like being this grand centerpiece.
23:04
SPEAKER_02: Right.
23:04
SPEAKER_02: Obviously, they still want dessert, so they're probably still gonna get some sort of sheet cake or something.
23:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
23:10
SPEAKER_02: Um, and maybe you can speak to that a little bit too.
23:12
SPEAKER_02: But what are you seeing?
23:14
SPEAKER_02: What are you hearing from couples on that front?
23:17
SPEAKER_00: So it's kind of the the as weird as the sounds, that's like a 50-50 as well.
23:23
SPEAKER_00: Now, the trend, the last couple cakes and emails and brides that I've spoken to, super traditional, like back to 1950s and 1960s style, with all of the intricate scroll piping where it looked like Elvis' wedding cake, um, which that style went out a long time ago, but it's making a comeback.
23:44
SPEAKER_00: Or the I don't like cake at all.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: I don't want a wedding cake.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: We don't care.
23:50
SPEAKER_00: We feel inclined to have something for cutting purposes for a photo.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: Um, we really like dessert.
23:57
SPEAKER_00: We're probably having a donut table.
23:59
SPEAKER_00: Like it's kind of split exactly down the middle.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: Super traditional.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: We want three tiers, all the scroll work, all of the fancy, or the we don't want cake at all.
24:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's so interesting.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: It's it's and I've followed the trends obviously through the years.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: And this is a new one.
24:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is very this is super.
24:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I have a couple thoughts on that too.
24:19
SPEAKER_02: One business thought, one wedding thought.
24:20
SPEAKER_02: The wedding thought is we've seen more and more, it's like an unannounced thing.
24:27
SPEAKER_02: And I'm wondering like, how long is it going to take for it to go unannounced?
24:30
SPEAKER_02: To just here's our dessert that we bought from the local bakery where it's like a dessert table.
24:37
SPEAKER_02: There's maybe cookies or cheesecakes or whatever that might be.
24:42
SPEAKER_02: Um, so it's just interesting.
24:44
SPEAKER_02: Are you seeing any of those kind of dessert tables popping up?
24:47
SPEAKER_00: Plenty of dessert tables.
24:48
SPEAKER_00: A lot of couples reaching out about like, we want four or five little desserts, kind of bite-sized that people can pick up and go.
24:56
SPEAKER_00: Because I mean, I've said this to many couples.
24:58
SPEAKER_00: A lot of times if you get the traditional cake and you're having a very, you know, party heavy, like DJ, full out like reception, by the time you get to the cake, everyone's on the dance floor.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: They don't even know that it's out.
25:14
SPEAKER_00: They have no idea that the cake has even been cut and that there's pieces at everyone's, you know, place where they were sitting.
25:20
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of times the couples they want this just long table on the side as people are grabbing some water, grabbing a cup of coffee, whatever, that there's little bite size that they can just grab and go right back to the day.
25:34
SPEAKER_02: Before we jump to the business thought that I had, is it what's that cost look like between the table and I know the cakes are gonna be like it's all dependent on what the cake is, but just the generic middle ground cake versus like the table.
25:48
SPEAKER_00: If you could just like help couples kind of understand that, I would say, you know, mostly speaking, and I've done a lot of dessert tables where um some of the couples want heavy on that end of it.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, oh, we want like if they're having four different desserts, we want one of each for every person.
26:08
SPEAKER_00: And I always say that's a little heavy because I just don't think people are gonna eat that much.
26:13
SPEAKER_00: However, you know, it's your choice, you know, if that's what how much you want.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: If if they go on the more average size, like two pieces per person, and we're gonna split up four or five different ones, it's pretty cost effective in the fact that they're probably gonna buy less than if they would have spent the same amount on a cake and more traditional cake, which obviously a slightly more involved.
26:37
SPEAKER_00: However, with that being said, not always.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: Once again, it it kind of depends on what they're looking for.
26:44
SPEAKER_00: Um, I mean, I've done traditional cakes where they're just very simple, classic, nothing crazy, um, very average pricing.
26:53
SPEAKER_00: They're not asking for anything extra that would be maybe even a little less than some of the desserts because they want five or six different desserts and they want these little beautiful mousse cups and cheesecakes and cream puffs and this.
27:09
SPEAKER_02: Like they kind of have like a little bit of both, but it could really be similar in a lot of ways.
27:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
27:15
SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna pull us out of our wedding rabbit hole that I took us down and go back to business just for a sec, because as I was saying the the thing about maybe cakes, wedding cakes are kind of on their way out.
27:27
SPEAKER_02: I was thinking about your business and your three little categories of things.
27:31
SPEAKER_02: If, and this is to business owners, if wedding cakes were removed from the table in your business, you have two other thriving pieces of your business that if anything, you could just devote more time to.
27:47
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
27:48
SPEAKER_02: And I just I was wondering if you'd want to speak to the idea of like in the beginning, you were probably looking at those three going, Holy like, what am I doing?
27:57
SPEAKER_02: I'm doing way too many things.
27:58
SPEAKER_02: But now you have essentially multiple streams of income for your business.
28:03
SPEAKER_02: If you could speak to that for the business owner that's pigeonholed themselves a little bit to to maybe like where where else could I look to kind of diversify?
28:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it's really helpful.
28:15
SPEAKER_00: And I'm grateful for my experience of having those options because I have watched our retail shop just grow and grow and grow much.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: I mean, tenfold versus when I first started, I thought that's just always going to be the little side thing.
28:33
SPEAKER_00: People coming in, getting a couple chocolate chip cookies, a brownie, whatever.
28:36
SPEAKER_00: And now I have watched that need in our local community just grow far beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
28:45
SPEAKER_00: It has, I feel like the pastries and the coming in for a daily box of like some scones, grabbing a cup of coffee, um, neighbors sharing with neighbors, oh, he shoveled my driveway.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: So I came in to buy him a box of pastries.
28:59
SPEAKER_00: Like, it's been amazing to see it's like a community thing.
29:05
SPEAKER_00: Like I never looked at the pastries in that way, but it has brought the community together.
29:10
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we work with all of the local schools, elementary, middle, high school, um, fire department, like the carnival.
29:17
SPEAKER_00: We do donations, Boy Scout troops, girl scout troops, uh, a lot of the local churches, my own church.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: Like I've had an incredible amount of um people from the congregation come for all of the events.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: So it has really just been such a community focus, which I personally love.
29:34
SPEAKER_00: And it has allowed me to kind of figure out, you know, in the wedding industry within the wedding business, where do I want to focus now?
29:44
SPEAKER_00: Like now I don't just say yes to every cake.
29:47
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not always the perfect fit for every bride and groom.
29:50
SPEAKER_00: I mean, the ones who want the super over-the-top cakes, that's not really my thing.
29:55
SPEAKER_00: Like I love focusing on all about the flavor, yeah, all about like really good cake, all about, you know, does this fit your budget?
30:04
SPEAKER_00: You know, I want to be a good fit for the bride and groom, as well as, you know, them feeling really happy and comfortable with hiring me for their day.
30:13
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like growing the other parts of my business has allowed me to really find my area within the wedding industry.
30:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
30:22
SPEAKER_00: So I I would encourage, yeah, other vendors to feel like you don't have to just stick with one thing.
30:30
SPEAKER_00: You know, use your your skills and your talents and see where could those fit maybe in another direction.
30:38
SPEAKER_00: And you never know.
30:39
SPEAKER_00: That could blossom, like the retail side for me, into something you never anticipated.
30:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, which is so cool.
30:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, very cool.
30:45
SPEAKER_02: Talk to me more about you brought this up, saying no to things.
30:48
SPEAKER_02: Because I think it's so hard.
30:50
SPEAKER_02: Especially if if there's a vendor listening that's in a spot where you feel like you can't say no because of financials or or the health of your business.
31:00
SPEAKER_02: Right.
31:01
SPEAKER_02: But talk to me about saying no to things.
31:04
SPEAKER_00: So it is a hard lesson that I've had to learn through the years.
31:07
SPEAKER_00: And I think back to a few weddings that were really memorable and that I probably shouldn't have, you know, the bride and groom, there were certain things that they were very specific about.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, oh, I could do that.
31:20
SPEAKER_00: I'm learning that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something.
31:26
SPEAKER_00: Um and I probably should have just said, you know, we're probably not the best fit.
31:31
SPEAKER_00: And I always try to keep uh two or three other bakers as good recommendations for a bride and groom if I'm not a good fit.
31:39
SPEAKER_00: Like someone else I would recommend.
31:40
SPEAKER_00: Maybe I'm not available, maybe it's not a style I do, something like that.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: And I try to now give them a good recommendation if it's something that is not a good fit for me.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: In those days, the early days, I would just say yes to everyone because I wanted to please them and I wanted them to be happy with me and my business, not necessarily saying, oh, my business, this is the style I do, and this is how I do things, and this is the way I'm running things.
32:08
SPEAKER_00: And I would allow those interactions with the couples to kind of dictate a little bit more than I should have on the business side.
32:17
SPEAKER_00: And when I when I came to the point where I was like, this is not good for the health of the business long term.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: And I cannot continue to grow if I say yes to everyone.
32:28
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I started to set the boundaries and say no more.
32:32
SPEAKER_00: I felt the business was better.
32:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, I was working with couples who truly were a good fit for me, for them.
32:41
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I have had like the sweetest memories of like the people who I felt like I could focus on them because I said no to someone else or something else that wasn't a good fit.
32:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
32:52
SPEAKER_00: That still come back like 10 years later for an anniversary cake, or now bring their kids in to see me, or have made their children's baby shower or first birthday cakes.
33:02
SPEAKER_00: And that is the best feeling.
33:04
SPEAKER_00: Feeling like I said yes to them because they were a good fit.
33:08
SPEAKER_00: And that probably meant saying no to something else or someone else because this was the better avenue.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like you need to know yourself, your boundaries, your business, and where your focus is.
33:21
SPEAKER_00: It will help you make decisions and feel very confident and at peace with saying no to the ones that are not a good fit, because we're not all the perfect fit for every couple.
33:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's so interesting because I I'm sitting here like, great advice.
33:37
SPEAKER_02: If you're not doing that, you need to do the things that Monique was just talking about.
33:41
SPEAKER_02: And if if I could just boil it down, one thing I heard was if you don't have your identity tied up into your business, and that's like that's what it is, when you find that something doesn't work, it could be anything, not even what we're talking about with the right couples, the right whatever.
34:00
SPEAKER_02: If it doesn't work, you're just like water apple ducks back.
34:02
SPEAKER_02: Like, cool, doesn't work.
34:04
SPEAKER_02: In the long run, if you're not thinking, you know, five, ten years from now, you're just thinking about this year, you're gonna make decisions that help you this year, and they don't help you five, 10 years from now.
34:15
SPEAKER_02: And as a business owner, you kind of have to do both.
34:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you have to be in it right now and making good choices right now, but you also have to be thinking, what's gonna really grow my business over the long haul?
34:26
SPEAKER_02: Um, and so seriously, if you guys are not doing the things that Monique was talking about, you need to do it.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: Um, but going back to weddings, deliveries, venue, like talk me through the process of pickups, deliveries.
34:41
SPEAKER_02: How do we make that smooth?
34:43
SPEAKER_02: What can venues do if they're listening in to help make sure the cake looks like it did when it got there?
34:50
SPEAKER_02: And when the couple actually finally cuts it, right?
34:54
SPEAKER_02: Like towards the end of the night, it still looks just as good.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: Right.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: I would say I've had um amazing experiences in the past, and I've had treacherous ones where it's like the nightmare.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: Um, and a lot of it is the trends in venues.
35:09
SPEAKER_00: I mean, for the years, it was the beautiful ballrooms at a grand hotel.
35:14
SPEAKER_00: I've delivered to like uh downtown Baltimore, to the art museum.
35:18
SPEAKER_00: Gorgeous, beautiful, all indoors, humidity control, usually very cold, too.
35:23
SPEAKER_02: I was just that one and I was for a reason.
35:25
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
35:26
SPEAKER_00: So those are kind of nice because it's a little more controlled.
35:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
35:31
SPEAKER_00: And then we've gone through the years of the venues being these beautiful old rustic barns that or outside.
35:38
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, even just like outdoor, more outdoorsy.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
35:41
SPEAKER_00: And I love those.
35:42
SPEAKER_00: I mean, my heart is there.
35:43
SPEAKER_00: I love them.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: However, they're lovely, they look beautiful in pictures, and it looks like oh, you're here on the farm and you know, you've taken the old building, but they are very tricky when it comes to a wedding cake.
35:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, I remember delivering specifically to a uh barn wedding, gorgeous.
36:03
SPEAKER_00: The chairs were all set up outside the giant barn doors.
36:08
SPEAKER_00: They had fans going on inside the barn to try to keep some air moving.
36:14
SPEAKER_00: Well, not the best when everything's blowing around, and of course, it's a barn, it's dusty, and I'm trying to put this cake on the table, and I was like, oh, this is nice.
36:24
SPEAKER_00: You're like a whirlwind of dust.
36:25
SPEAKER_02: You're like, I'm not gonna put this here.
36:31
SPEAKER_00: Because when I leave, I don't know what it's gonna look like by the time the bride and groom get to the cake cutting.
36:37
SPEAKER_00: So, and I I've also delivered ones in the middle, you know, July 5th.
36:42
SPEAKER_00: It's a hot sunny day, everything is melting in the barn, and now I'm delivering a cake and I'm not there at 7 p.m.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: at the cutting, I'm there at 4 p.m., you know.
36:53
SPEAKER_02: Which is so funny because that's the time that it needs to look the best.
36:56
SPEAKER_00: I know, I know.
36:58
SPEAKER_02: My problem exactly.
36:59
SPEAKER_00: So I I, you know, many times I approach uh wedding coordinator, whoever, like, hey, do you have any other space that we could at least store the cake until the cutting?
37:10
SPEAKER_00: I always try to make contact with them in advance anyway.
37:14
SPEAKER_00: And many venues are very good about reaching out to me as well.
37:18
SPEAKER_00: Do you need anything specific for the cake?
37:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, we have a table ready for you.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: So I always appreciate that, you know, communication, coordinating everything.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: That doesn't always happen.
37:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, but that's a big thing.
37:32
SPEAKER_00: The the air, the humidity, the time of year.
37:36
SPEAKER_00: I also with that being said, when it's really cold, like I have cakes generally refrigerated up until the time of delivery.
37:44
SPEAKER_00: So there's plenty of time for them to come to room temperature by the time the bride and groom cut the cake.
37:48
SPEAKER_00: It's all kind of timed.
37:50
SPEAKER_00: Many times, if it's winter and it's really cold and like maybe they've uh rented or the venue's this beautiful, like historic place.
37:59
SPEAKER_00: There's not a lot of heat there.
38:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
38:00
SPEAKER_00: By the time they get to the cake cutting, it might still be pretty chilly and like everyone's in these beautiful fur wraps, but the cake is still really cold.
38:09
SPEAKER_00: So I really try to get those details worked out before the delivery, um, as well as knowing where I'm going to drive.
38:16
SPEAKER_00: I have um showed up at venues where you can't actually drive up to where you need to bring the cake in.
38:23
SPEAKER_00: That's a little tricky.
38:25
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've carried very heavy cakes across long stretches of lawn, and that's very stressful because it's like, okay, I have to get it from here to there, and there's no way to drive there.
38:36
SPEAKER_00: I've also delivered cakes on location to beautiful homes where they're having an at-home wedding, but they don't always tell you that you have to get through the field to get to where they're having it in the back part of their property.
38:51
SPEAKER_00: So through the years, I've learned a lot and I ask a lot of questions now.
38:55
SPEAKER_00: And that that may sound like sometimes they're like, oh, why do you need to know that?
38:59
SPEAKER_00: Well, when I show up, can I pull right up to a door?
39:03
SPEAKER_00: Is there a refrigerator that, you know, if if you're gonna be five hours until the cake cutting that I can store something?
39:10
SPEAKER_00: Like, so I try to ask a lot of questions because the cake, as the vendor who has the perishable item, that's pretty important information.
39:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, so I try to work those things out now.
39:22
SPEAKER_00: I didn't always ask this many questions.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: Now I try to ask you.
39:24
SPEAKER_02: I know I always feel bad.
39:26
SPEAKER_02: We send out a questionnaire that has like 50 something questions on it, but I always I'm framing it to our couples like this will be like our our like war book.
39:35
SPEAKER_02: Like anything we need to know will be in this questionnaire.
39:39
SPEAKER_02: So I appreciate the time you're taking to put into this.
39:42
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
39:42
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm I'm curious.
39:44
SPEAKER_02: Uh, I have like one or two more wedding questions, and then I I want to ask you a couple personal questions.
39:49
SPEAKER_02: When you're working with couples, is there like a preferred timeline that they should be reaching out that's like helpful for you, gives you time to do what you need to do, but still gives them enough time to like come in and do some tastings, maybe, or kind of go through that process with you?
40:04
SPEAKER_00: I would definitely say I personally like it to be within the year.
40:10
SPEAKER_00: So sometimes I have brides and grooms, it's wonderful.
40:14
SPEAKER_00: They're engaged and their wedding's two years out.
40:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but it's like a lot changes in two years.
40:20
SPEAKER_00: A lot can change on their end, their ideas change, maybe their list changes.
40:26
SPEAKER_00: So I kind of like to wait until they're within the year and they've really had time to settle into things.
40:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
40:33
SPEAKER_00: Um, now, with that being said, I've done plenty of like elopement cakes, like, oh, we're getting married next month and it's gonna be small.
40:40
SPEAKER_00: Can, you know, can you make a cake?
40:43
SPEAKER_00: I I personally love that.
40:45
SPEAKER_00: I love kind of the spur of the moment, the very romantic, like we just decided we're getting married and it's like gonna be us and our family, 10 people.
40:52
SPEAKER_00: I've done lots of those cakes through the years.
40:54
SPEAKER_00: They're very special.
40:56
SPEAKER_00: And and as much as I can, I try to accommodate them because I do understand that sometimes life is spur of the moment, you know.
41:03
SPEAKER_00: So I always appreciate those.
41:04
SPEAKER_00: But for the larger weddings and more traditional, and um, you know, they're having a hundred people, I always say like the six to nine months is perfect.
41:13
SPEAKER_00: If it's a little further out, um, sometimes that works out well.
41:16
SPEAKER_00: But a lot of times they haven't even really booked a lot of other things.
41:21
SPEAKER_00: They're just like, oh, we're trying to get going and we selling.
41:26
SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
41:26
SPEAKER_00: So I like them to wait a little bit until they have a better idea of their guest, um, the style, what they're doing, time of day, all that sort of thing.
41:37
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then come to me excited about ordering cake or desserts or um, you know, whatever it is.
41:45
SPEAKER_00: So I I I do love the little spur of the moments and I love to accommodate them when I can, but I I do appreciate the larger ones having within that year time frame to be able to have time for the tasting and to make any little changes at the end that they may need.
42:02
SPEAKER_02: Oh, that totally makes sense.
42:03
SPEAKER_02: It's a weird thing because like it's not a bad thing to be planning ahead, but also like you're maybe not ready with all the details that would be helpful for you to know at that point.
42:14
SPEAKER_02: Um, okay, personal question.
42:16
SPEAKER_02: Do you still enjoy consuming the desserts?
42:20
SPEAKER_02: Or is that kind of like it's too much?
42:23
SPEAKER_00: It's it's it is funny that people say to me all the time, do you like eat your own cake?
42:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm at the point that I have eaten or tasted so much dessert through the years.
42:36
SPEAKER_00: I rarely eat dessert.
42:38
SPEAKER_00: Now, I do taste everything, everything I make, whether it's a lemon bar, chocolate mousse for the filling, uh, the fresh cream and the strawberries to fill another cake.
42:49
SPEAKER_00: I taste everything.
42:51
SPEAKER_00: It is very rare that I eat a piece of dessert.
42:56
SPEAKER_00: The taste, the tasting spoons are all day, every day.
42:59
SPEAKER_00: But other than that, I do not go home and eat dessert.
43:03
SPEAKER_00: Ice cream is my one weakness that I will still enjoy.
43:06
SPEAKER_00: And we and at the bakery, we do make homemade ice cream sandwiches.
43:09
SPEAKER_00: We make French style ice cream.
43:12
SPEAKER_00: We bake the cookies, sandwich them together, package them.
43:15
SPEAKER_00: So they are our summer, very popular item in the summer.
43:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I still taste everything, but I do not eat a dessert.
43:23
SPEAKER_02: So, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
43:25
SPEAKER_00: Oh boy, that's tough.
43:27
SPEAKER_00: It's probably gonna be between coffee or espresso.
43:30
SPEAKER_00: I do love fresh banana, like really, really ripe bananas that I take and make like a puree and then fold that into the custard before turning it.
43:40
SPEAKER_00: It's delicious.
43:41
SPEAKER_02: I feel like you gave a very baker answer on that.
43:45
SPEAKER_02: You're like really unique, super specific, and you can't get it anywhere.
43:50
SPEAKER_00: So but they are really good.
43:53
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
43:54
SPEAKER_02: Um, well, Monique, thank you so much for being on today.
43:58
SPEAKER_02: Um, I hope everyone listening got a ton.
44:01
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know I got a ton of just tips, tricks, and then it's just so cool to hear your story, how you started here at Antrim and kind of just, you know, made your way, carved your own path.
44:12
SPEAKER_02: Um, so thank you for being on and sharing your story.
44:15
SPEAKER_02: Where can people find and follow along with what you're doing?
44:18
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so our retail shop, um, the location is in Littlestown.
44:24
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's the giant white marble building that used to be a bank.
44:27
SPEAKER_00: So a lot of history there.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: It's very cool.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: It's from 1921.
44:31
SPEAKER_00: Um, it was a bank for many years, but now we are within the building and revitalized and new life.
44:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we still use the vault.
44:39
SPEAKER_00: The vault is now our walk-in cooler, so it's very cool.
44:41
SPEAKER_00: You when you walk in, you can see the big vault door.
44:44
SPEAKER_00: Um, so you the retail shop is there um online, Facebook, Instagram.
44:49
SPEAKER_00: You can follow along.
44:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, a lot of people always have questions about hours, updates, vacation days.
44:55
SPEAKER_00: I try to update Google as much as possible.
44:58
SPEAKER_00: I know a lot of people are like, oh, Google, bakery, little town.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: So those hours, the information, our phone number to call us if you have any questions, um, directions, you know, all that's on Google.
45:10
SPEAKER_00: So any of those would be great places.
45:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and all of that will be linked down below.
45:14
SPEAKER_02: So if you're wondering, like, oh wait, what did she say?
45:17
SPEAKER_02: Where to go?
45:18
SPEAKER_02: It's all gonna be in the description.
45:20
SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh yeah, it's just so cool to hear your story.
45:23
SPEAKER_02: And thank you so much for being on.
45:24
SPEAKER_02: That's all for this episode.
45:26
SPEAKER_02: Gets home, Monique.
45:28
SPEAKER_02: You gotta go check it out if you're in town.
45:30
SPEAKER_02: And uh appreciate you guys tuning in.
45:33
SPEAKER_02: If you're listening on a podcast space somewhere, it would be so incredible if you could leave us a review, throw up some stars for us, and then if you're on YouTube, what's up, how's it going?
45:45
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh, I would appreciate if you could subscribe and like this uh and share it with with people that you think would be you know interested in learning more about Monique and her story and all things bakery.
45:58
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
45:59
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but that's all for this episode, and we'll catch you guys next time on the preferred list.