By Mary Owen
Sugar and spice – and all baked goods nice … Two local women are elbows-deep in dough, creating yummy edibles for Santiam bakery buffs.
Bonnie Taylor grew up in Mehama and Sarah Smith in Lyons. Both are moms who love to bake for their families and loved ones. Both dreamed of opening a bakery someday. And both put wings to their dream by recently opening Sugar & Spice Bakery.
“It was just a fun thing to dream about at first, and then things just took off,” said Smith.
Taylor agreed. The process, she said, was short.
“First we just started practicing and writing out our favorite recipes,” Smith explained. “We would hand them out to our families and neighbors to see if they thought they were any good or had any suggestions.”
Taylor and Smith both attend Foothills Church in Stayton, and are amazed, Smith said, “at the way God has blessed this venture. And continues to open doors and push us through.”
One door that opened was meeting with Allison McKenzie with the GROW program facilitator at the North Santiam Economic Development Center in Mill City. McKenzie helped the pair take the right steps to turn their dream turn into a legitimate business, Smith said.
“We started selling scones and muffins to our friends and church family just to get us off the ground,” Smith said.
“When we had our kitchen licensed in late May, we were able to start marketing and looking for wholesale and retail customers,” she added. “We had our first public appearance at the Gates Saturday Faire in June.”
The partners bake mostly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings.
“We start very early,” Taylor said. “It changes depending on the number of orders. We’re usually done around 10.”
Taylor and Smith have had to adjust getting their baking done without cutting too much into family time. Smith and her husband, Kevin, have two girls, Alyssa, 5, and Stephanie, 1. Taylor and husband, Shawn, have three girls, Annabelle, 6, Courtney, 4, and Samantha, 2.
“We’ve tried to set some time boundaries and stick to them,” Smith said. Still, balancing business with their home lives is a challenge they are still learning to cope with, she said.
“Thankfully, we have very supportive husbands and extended families that have been a huge help with caring for the kids and helping out around our houses,” Smith said.
Sugar & Spice Bakery offers an array of muffins, scones, cookies, cookie bars, quiches, cakes and cupcakes – “all baked to order and customizable,” Smith said.
“We deliver, which is a big selling point,” she added. “As we are a licensed bakery, we can provide goodies for the public schools, so kids with birthdays or parties can take home-baked and custom treats to share.”
Sugar & Spice products are carried at Sunshine Produce Stand on Highway 22 in Mill City, Smith said. “We have other locations in the works,” she added.
Smith said both have their favorite bakery treats.
“We love our scones,” she said. “Bonnie’s is lemon cranberry, mine is vanilla bean, and my husband’s is cherry white chocolate. Also our bar cookies are to die for. Bonnie’s ‘dream’ bar has oatmeal, peanut butter, chopped mixed nuts and milk chocolate.
“I am amazed by the demand for old-fashioned and traditional favorites like chocolate chip cookies and no-bake haystacks,” she added.
“We are working on expanding our menu, and will be offering gift boxes, cookie trays and pies for the holidays,” she said. “This is something we do from out hearts.”
The bakers cam be reached at 503-859-3813, or e-mail sugarnspice.or[at]gmail.com.
