We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alison Phelps a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alison, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creating new dessert ideas can hit at any time. I love to create fun, out of the box flavors in my desserts.
I look to products that are already made (i.e pretzels, candies) that I can use and intergrade somehow into a cookie or cupcake. I’ve even make cookies mimicking my favorite ice cream.
Creativity also comes from learning how to pair flavors together from fresh elements. I love to taste test combinations and find the ones that work well together. From there I can pick a base recipe and turn it into something delicious. Pumpkin for example, you can make a basic pumpkin cupcake or you can make a pumpkin cinnamon roll cupcake, pumpkin s’more cupcake, pumpkin crumb cupcake. The possibilities are endless.
You can’t be scared to try new things because that’s where you’ll find the perfect bite.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
When I was little my mom always let me help when she was baking. I grew up to be the designated dessert bringer to all the gatherings. I now own Big Tasty Bakery, a cottage bakery.
In 2019, I started making larger cakes and other desserts for others to teach myself how to become a better baker. My favorite thing to create is cookies at the moment. They’re versatile and delicious. Owning a business isn’t easy but the most special thing about this is having creative freedom to create anything I can think of.
I love to give back to our community. At least once a month I donate cupcakes, cookies or brownies and they’re distributed to our local homeless. I’m looking forward to more opportunities this year with local youth.
We offer cake decorating classes where you learn in a hands on class how to stack, frost, use fondant and other decorating tools to create your own cake. We have four classes this fall that you can sign up for on the website.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
When this journey started, life was hitting me from all directions and my life had been turned upside down. Looking back three things that helped me through that and to get me here have been schooling, determination and being me.
I applied for college at the age of thirty. I had no way to pay for this but I prayed that God would make a way if it was the right path to take. God blessed me with a full ride to college. In college I was able to learn so much about cooking, baking, ServSafe, cleanliness, nutrition, how to start a business and so much more. I was surrounded by other like minded individuals who encouraged one another. Taking time to learn and practice what I loved only helped propel me forward in this journey.
I feel with any journey you have to have determination to not only make things happen but to make it to your final destination. I have sold products in many stores but some didn’t work out. It’s okay to pick yourself up and try agin, try until it works. I have made many recipes that have failed but I keep getting back into the kitchen to fix it until it’s right.
Along this journey I have always wanted to be myself. I don’t chase after things I don’t find joy in. I cannot stack a three tier cake, I cannot make elaborate fondant pieces, but I can make an awesome cookie. You have to be true to who you are and not feel like you have to offer what everyone else does. Find your niche and stick to it.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is a foodie for sure. I love a client who is flexible, kind, good with communication and easy going.
Vanilla and chocolate are good but when you find others who are passionate about food and trying new things it’s a major green flag for me. I appreciate kindness in this dark world. I love someone who is flexible just incase something goes wrong and we need to go in a new direction with their order. Being able to communicate promptly and clearly is super important to make sure their needs and wants are met when creating their order.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.bigtastybakery.com
- Instagram: Big Tasty Bakery
- Facebook: Big Tasty Bakery
Image Credits
I take all my photos on the iPhone 13.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
