Life & Work with Brittany Fenstermaker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Fenstermaker. 

Hi Brittany, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, baking was a big part of our family’s identity. I always admired my mom’s skills in the kitchen and glowed with pride as friends, family, and strangers raved about the things she made. I always hoped to follow in her footsteps – bringing people joy with delicious food and good company. Before my oldest was born, we took a cake decorating class together. My intent at the time was simply to learn enough skills so I could make decorative cakes for my children’s birthdays each year. Over the years, the possibility of a food service business was always in our minds, but nothing we ever seriously pursued. 

After my daughter, Norah, was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2019, I promised her that I would recreate all of her favorite foods to be equally as good as or better than their original gluten counterparts. The final test for each recipe was serving it to individuals who regularly consumed gluten to see what they thought. When even my toughest critics started going back for seconds, I realized that I had to start sharing them with the community. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I think the hardest part of this whole process has been trusting myself and growing in confidence. I was concerned about taking time away from my kids to bake and fulfill orders and was worried I would wind up a complete failure. Of course, I’m sure everyone who starts something new feels this way, so those feelings certainly aren’t unique to my situation. I’m thankful to have such a supportive family and customer base that have continued to encourage me along the way. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The Silly Yak is a truly gluten-free cottage bakery safe for individuals with celiac disease. If you say our name “Mad Gab” style, it sounds a lot like the condition for which we were founded to accommodate. We specialize in decorative cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and confections. Our most popular confection is “Glutessa’s Munch,” a candy-coated gluten-free pretzel and popcorn mix named after our mascot – a laughing purple yak. I am most proud of the texture of our cakes. It may sound extremely specific, but those who are familiar with gluten-free food know that texture is one of the biggest adjustments to the diet. We found a really great method that provides an airy, moist cake that isn’t thick or dense. I knew our recipe was going to be successful when people who did not need to eat gluten-free told me it was possibly the best cake they had ever eaten. A big part of our business model is our “Yak Attacks,” which is our version of paying it forward. It’s important to me that beyond food, our customers feel special, that there is a sense of community with us. Sometimes a “Yak Attack” will be a sample product with an order. Other times, it’s a special inquiry or conversation to make someone’s day better. I genuinely care about people and want that to show in everything I do with The Silly Yak. 

What were you like growing up?
I still have a lot of the same traits as I did growing up, and my interests have always been diverse. Though I was and still am an introverted person, I was raised in a home where we were encouraged to step out and try new things. From music and dancing to gymnastics, swimming, and tennis, I was constantly learning one new skill or another. It gave me the ability to adapt and be open to new challenges. The artistic and creative interests, though were always the ones I felt most drawn toward. Music was a huge part of that for me. In high school and college, I was the front woman for a band and later played keyboard and sang background vocals for Nashville recording artist AC Jones. I continue to perform for her and her husband’s country duo, Arbor North, today. I do think that this love of creating and crafting is what laid the foundation for my bakery business because decorating cakes and testing new recipes satisfies that artistic side of me. Personality-wise, I’m very much a planner and problem solver, which is helpful when it comes to the challenge of creating recipes, especially since they don’t use traditional ingredients in order to remain gluten-free. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesillyyakus.com
• Instagram: @thesillyyakus
• Facebook: @thesillyyakus