Today we’d like to introduce you to Cory Anderson.
Cory, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Baking (and cooking) has always been a creative outlet for me and sharing food is definitely one of my love languages (or maybe the way I express any and all of the love languages). When I moved to Atlanta, more often than not, I baked for my weekly acting classes and I give full credit to the idea of creating Baby Deer to my teachers and classmates. People would ask whether I thought about baking as a business and I always brushed it off until one month when three or four people asked back-to-back. It was really an “Ok, Universe, I hear you.” moment. I researched the legalities of it, went through all the certifications, and dove in. The name “Baby Deer Bakery” actually comes from my nickname in that acting class.
I knew from the start that if I was going to have a bakery, I wanted it to be as inclusive as possible so vegan and gluten-free options were mandatory for me. I have a number of close friends with severe food allergies and it’s just never sat well with me that they have to bring their own food to parties. As far as I’m concerned, everyone should have the option of birthday cake! If I’m hosting a party, I am the person that will make sure there is something safe for everyone, regardless of what allergies I need to work with. Thank goodness for that part of my personality (and my friends with allergies educating and trusting me) because I’d already learned so much about allergy-safe baking and how to substitute ingredients before I opened Baby Deer.
It’s been a gradual process, and word of mouth has always been the best way for us to connect with new people. That said, we’ve had some big growth in the past year and some truly amazing partnerships- I can’t wait to see where we are this time next year. Over the summer, we teamed up with Little Shop of Stories in Decatur Square to offer allergy-friendly prizes for their Summer Reading Program Participants and I’ve never had so much fun. I’m a total bookworm and spent years working with kids, so getting to hear about favorite books from the families collecting their cookies and cupcakes was such a joy. The other big development is our ever-growing Cookie of the Month Club. Cookie Club started as a way for me to get to play around with flavors and has become the heart of the Baby Deer Family- it’s such a lovely way to stay in touch with people, catch up on their lives and give back since we donate part of each box to charity.
I’m so grateful for the friends who encouraged me to take a leap of faith, it’s an honor and a joy every time I get to bake for a birthday, a thank you present, a housewarming, a holiday, a cookie table at a wedding. Being a background player in the celebrations that bring families and friends together is special every single time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no. I don’t think anything is ever a totally smooth road, but it’s certainly been smoother than it could have been in many respects. Learning to scale for large orders was a bit of a learning curve- 1000 cookies in one go takes up less space but way more time than you might think. And then you overcorrect on the next big order and it takes more space and less time than you think. The new oven and kitchen upgrades have been a game changer for big orders, we can bake much more at one time, which frees up time and space for frosting, decorating, packaging, etc. The other big learning curve is always the research and experimenting with recipes for new allergies or dietary restrictions, particularly when you have people with multiple allergies that rule out the usual substitutions. That said, recipe development is always a bit of a mental game for me. Where can I think outside the box? What recipes could I combine to create the best-tasting dessert without using x, y, and z? Creating a new recipe modification is always a chance for me to explore and play and, at the end of the day, it brings a smile to someone’s face and gives me a new recipe to offer to others with similar dietary needs. Win-win-win. Currently, I’m working on a vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly cake recipe for the holidays so I have six different recipe tabs open to compare and contrast egg substitutes, flour alternatives, frosting alternatives…I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Baby Deer strives to be a bakery for everyone. If you’re looking for a birthday cake made with all the traditional ingredients, we’ve got you covered. And if you need a pie that’s free from 8 different allergens, we’ll work with you to figure out a recipe so your favorite dessert is part of your holiday table. We’re not magicians, but we are stubborn and if there is a way to make it happen, we will make it happen! As far as I’m concerned, if we are baking for you, you are family and family always deserves dessert filled with love and care.
The other part of Baby Deer that I am most proud of is our commitment to giving back. Cookie of the Month Club donates 15% of the gross profits to Kellsie’s Hope Foundation to support families battling (often relapsed) pediatric cancer. We’ve been connected to Kellsie’s Hope, on a personal level, for years, so it was a no-brainer to use Cookie Club as a way to make a bigger difference. Locally, we donated all prizes for Summer Reading and have teamed up with non-profits to bake on behalf of their mission or to create thank you gifts for their employees or clients.
At its core, Baby Deer exists for you. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, a holiday, the start of basketball season, or just because it’s Tuesday- we are here to add some sweetness to your day and hopefully make your life a little easier. Our core menu is filled with cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, along with a new collection of items with fruits and veggies baked in for those of you who asked for a way to sneak some more veggies into your life. But we LOVE getting creative. Special holiday offerings? Always. Random scone craving? Here for it. A cake or cookie flavor that isn’t on the menu but is everything your heart desires? Bring it on, let’s get creative and make some baking magic. We’re here to bake for you, so let us know what you want! (and hopefully, there are leftover cookie and cake scraps for us, because we get jealous of the orders we send out and don’t get to taste.)
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
We do big orders for events! Cookie or cupcake favors, client/employee thank you gifts, cookie platters for weddings, parties and events… We’ve designed custom recipes for theatre companies and themed the flavors to their shows or characters, created prohibition-themed cupcakes for a Roaring 20’s corporate party, and made hundreds of cookie or cupcake favors for thank you gifts and favors. (And yes, we can incorporate allergy-friendly options here too.)
Pricing:
- Cookie of the Month Club $25/month
- Cookies $20/dozen
- Cupcakes $15/half dozen
- Three-layer Cakes from $40
- Holiday Assortment Box $15-$35
Contact Info:
- Website: www.babydeerbakery.com
- Instagram: @babydeerbakery
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/babydeerbakery
Image Credits
All photos by Baby Deer Bakery
