We recently connected with Shannon Arenburg and have shared our conversation below.
Shannon , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Honestly, my purpose came from process of elimination early on. I made the decision to attend a vocational high school rather than a traditional high school, which meant I got to try my hand at a wide variety of trades from masonry to nursing. When I went through the baking shop, we were given a dozen cupcakes, some food coloring, and frosting to decorate however we wanted. The majority of the class tried to create traditional designs like flowers or swirls. Even though I had never held a pastry bag before, I decided to make cartoon characters. The teachers put them in the pastry case and they all sold within the day, and I was making more. I had never felt so good about what I was doing, and even after a full day of baking during shop week, I went home and baked some more. Most people fall in love with baking at home and then go seeking formal training from there, but for me it was the exact opposite.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have been learning and growing in this industry since I was about fourteen. My co-op job in high school was at a small pasta company in NH that grew some of their own produce and herbs for their products and sold their handmade pasta, ravioli, and sauces at farmers markets. That was my introduction to small food makers and I have always felt so at home within that community. I got my associate’s degree in Baking and Pastry and my bachelor’s in Culinary Management at Southern New Hampshire University, and studied abroad at Florence University of the Arts in Italy. To this day, I would say I’m still learning; I love trying new recipes or techniques and I especially love exploring new flavor pairings.
I started Pizzelle Bakery in 2023 after owning a candy business for about six years. I compiled all my favorite recipes collected during my years at school, working in Boston restaurants, and Italian bakeries to create a menu that celebrates from scratch, classic, nostalgic baked goods. So many of our guests have stories to tell of an older family member making pizzelles for special occasions, and I love that connection between food and personal history. We make classic cakes, cookies, traditional pastries, breads, and so much more. We are even planning on hosting classes and workshops in our space, so that families can come together in the kitchen to make new sensory memories or help another young person find their passion like I did.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
It is so important in this industry to be open minded, no matter where you’ve worked or how long you’ve been honing your craft. Don’t limit yourself to one specialty or even one kitchen. Food is constantly evolving, and there is always something new to learn; even someone that has a limited knowledge of the trade could see something in a different way that could be a game changer. Don’t let your ego inflate to a point where it stands in the way of growing as a professional, be open to all areas of knowledge and experience as many different cuisines as you can.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! The first pastry chef I worked for told me, “I’ve made almost every mistake there is to be made in the kitchen” and that gave me the permission I needed to make some of my own. As a perfectionist, of course I am pretty hard on myself whenever I do make a mistake, but it is all part of the journey. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and remember that baking is first and foremost supposed to be an expression of joy.
Most people are intimidated by baking because they believe that all baking recipes have to be meticulously followed. This isn’t necessarily true. If you know the properties of the ingredients you’re working with, you can have the same freedom that most people associate with cooking. Get to know what happens to texture when you whip up your eggs and fold them into batter rather than pouring them directly. Learn the difference between different flours and what happens when you mix them. Learn about substitutions, such as using applesauce in place of eggs or avocado instead of butter. The more you get to know your ingredients, the more creative you can be!
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I don’t think there has been just one person that has been the most impactful. I have gotten a little something special from almost everyone I’ve worked for or with, and I wouldn’t be as well-rounded of a professional if I didn’t open my mind to everything everyone had to offer me, whether they were my boss or my co-worker or my assistant.
That being said, every day that I work I have two voices in my head. One belongs to Lee Napoli, the pastry chef that gave me my first real bakery job out of college. She taught me so much about the unique challenges that women in the industry face, and supported me in a way that is truly uncommon. She advocated for me to receive higher pay and shielded me from the worst of the harsher realities of the industry. She also made the mistakes I made in the bakery feel like teaching moments rather than a deep personal failure, as so many other places do. I don’t know if I would have stayed in this industry as long as I have without this positive introduction to the industry, and I model my leadership strategy after her and use the techniques she taught me on a daily basis.
The second voice in my head is from Jesse Jackson III. An altogether different environment from retail baking, I worked as his pastry assistant in a fine dining restaurant. Although I believe the restaurant environment was more stressful than the bakery, he made coming to work every day a fun experience. He helped me hone the skills I had learned in school into professional standards and made me see the importance of reinforcing and maintaining a consistent quality. More than anything, he helped me see the “why” behind most of the decisions that we make every day, and if it isn’t readily apparent to seek it out. I have become altogether more knowledgable from a technical standpoint after working with him, and he continues to inspire me to learn more, continue to be creative, and to absolutely make an effort to work clean.
In my business and the industry at large, I face new challenges every day…some of which I never dreamed I would encounter. Not only do I have the old lessons of Chef Lee and Chef Jesse to think back on, but I also remain close with both of them and I’m so fortunate to have them in my corner.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pizzellebakes.com
- Instagram: @pizzellebakes
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/pizzellebakes
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