Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Gifford.
Hi Amanda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been baking my whole life… pretty much once I could stand on a stool in the kitchen. I was born and raised in Kennesaw, GA. I was always into everything and super curious. I would watch my mom cook and bake all the time and was ready for any small task she gave me to help! My mom would bake for every holiday for dinners, gifts to friends and co-workers and mostly just for fun. She taught me the importance of measurements and why a tad more of this or that could throw the whole recipe off.
Growing up, I probably changed my mind a zillion times on what I wanted to be when I grew up. Most of my teenage years, I spent playing softball and riding horses. I was going through a lot mentally during this time dealing with my diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in middle school, so I like to keep myself busy. I went to college originally for communications in Mass Media in hopes of being a radio dj. So fast forward to making a career out of changing majors from that to business management then nursing, I ended up pursuing a career in baking. I had been working throughout my college years for Copeland’s New Orleans in Kennesaw for over ten years in the bakery, back of house and managing.
In 2013, I was married and had a young child and one on the way and we were planning to move to Dallas, GA, which meant a farther drive. I knew it was time to settle down and make my FINAL career choice. I have always loved watching Food Network and all these “crazy” cake shows. I wanted so bad to learn how they do what I watched. So I began to dabble with different techniques, recipes and mediums. I watched like thousands of Youtube tutorials and read read READ everything I could find. I took a leap of faith in 2017 and started my bakery as a Cottage Food Bakery. I advertised on Facebook (agressively! lol) and started taking in orders I had no experience in doing. I had no formal training in culinary, although my momma was close to it. If I did not know how to do something, then I googled for help… I know, crazy! But as crazy as it seems, this is what helped me learn and how I taught myself.
Over the years, I partnered with Icing Smiles, a non-profit organization providing celebration cakes (free) to children and families with very sick or terminal kiddos. I am also partners with Egleston in Atlanta to do cookie donations for the monthly birthdays. I try to stay very active in the community by donating to Wellstar Paulding hospitals, police and fire department. We actually got a storefront that is under renovations back in March 2020 and COVID shut it down. Since then, we have stayed busy trying to keep the dream of owning that storefront alive and should be opening by Summer 2021. Baking is something that I was destined to do and for once, I feel like I found my place!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth rode? No way! I had to prove against well-known and established bakers that I have what it takes. In this field, you have a lot of competition and it isn’t always friendly. I did not have a shop where people could come to test out my work. I did not have a degree in culinary or study pastries in France etc. But I have a passion… I have the desire to learn and be better with everything that I create.
We’ve been impressed with Chubby Cake’s and Bakes Bakery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Chubby Cakes and Bakes Bakery is a custom-style one-stop dessert shop! Everything we make is from scratch. No cake mix or bases for sauces… 100% real ingredients. Just like momma taught me! We offer endless options in dessert types and flavors. We work with many allergies and dietary restrictions as well. There is no limit on a design! We do celebration cakes, wedding cakes, decorative cookies, cupcakes, cake pops, cheesecakes, pies and much more! We want our desserts to look as good as they taste! When our clients look back at an event, I want their dessert to be one of the highlights.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We have done cakes for Vic Beasley (Previously played on Falcons), Maren Morris and Rascal Flatts and a local R & B DJ in Atlanta. We have been featured on The Knot, Good Morning America, 11Alive, Yahoo, News and Views, local newspapers and several radio stations in Atlanta. Just hope to inspire others to help in their community and to know that you are never to old to start a new career!
Contact Info:
- Email: chubbycakesandbakes@yahoo.com
- Website: www.chubbycakesandbakesbakery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chubbycakesandbakesbakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChubbyCakeandBakes
Image Credits
The boho wedding cake photo was taken by https://www.instagram.com/moonstone.photo/?hl=en
