Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Nguyen
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Before I became a baker, I worked as a chemist in research and development for nearly 5 years after graduating with my Associate of Science from Stark State College in 2016. Like many others, I was laid off during the pandemic. Teaching myself to perfect macarons was my way of finally combining my love of the scientific method and artistic creativity.
I felt it was time to make a major change in my career, and I began bringing several dozen macarons to the Oberlin Farmer’s Market every week. It didn’t take long before I began joining more markets, festivals and events. I started taking on custom orders, seizing the opportunity to take any given theme to beautiful, edible works of art.
In 2021, I decided to add an entirely new genre of baking to my repertoire- sourdough breads. My absolute favorite type of bread are pretzels- and I’ve perfected my recipe with a Bavarian style finish. I love taking a tasty dough like pretzel, and creating infinite variations for different applications, whether it be a traditional knot, a sandwich loaf, and even slider buns!
These days, I collaborate with some other truly fantastic businesses in Cleveland, including Dahlia Coffee Co., Frankie Lynn Hot Dogs, Boss Chickn’ Beer, Haute Donuts and many others. I also offer online ordering through my website, for anything from Montreal style bagels to extravagant macaron towers. Although I still occasionally do pop-up events, you can usually find me completing orders in my tiny, back-of-a-coffee-shop kitchen.
My dream is to expand into a parlor style space, in which I can entertain parties with themed tastings and fun classes. I have endless lists of ideas that I cannot wait to share with my amazing community of Cleveland. One thing I truly love about this city, which I have called home for most of my life- creativity is 100% appreciated here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have definitely faced some challenges in my journey of starting my own bakery business. Learning the intricacies of operating a business is especially a learning curve, since my educational background is all science, and- the baking itself is often the easy part!
What I have learned about operating my business is that challenges are inevitable. Running a business is a challenge in itself, and it takes a type of person who enjoys solving these challenges to truly succeed. It’s true that I don’t have education or formal training in business, but I do what I can to learn what I can.
While I’m rolling out dozens of bagels, I’m listening to business, marketing and finance podcasts. I seek out and listen to the advice of other small business owners who are where I want to be. I have also worked several part- time bakery jobs, to understand what running a bakery really looks like.
Another unique challenge in running a business is understanding my audience and being able to create a successfully marketable product. It is my mission to capture the delight of my clients by using fresh, local, seasonal ingredients while delivering maximum flavor and elegant presentation. Where I want to truly improve on this is being able to expand my operating hours, so I can increase how many clients I can serve.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I believe that the best way to stay creative is to remain inspired! I take much inspiration from my travels, current trends in the baking world, and my own personal nostalgic experiences. If food is my canvas, then flavors are my colors to paint with.
When thinking about what flavors I want to work with, the first thing I think about is seasonality. For example, as I look forward to early spring, I love pairing bright and fresh citrus with delicate floral buds in macarons. Maple is also flowing this time of year, which I love to use in my shortbread cookies. Soon, wild garlicky ramps will be ready to harvest and will go perfectly in my cracked pepper focaccia!
Most recently with macarons, I have taken my fascination with natural flavors a few steps further. I was curious about working with natural colors- and the discoveries I’ve made has unlocked an entirely new world of creativity for me! Not only can I use natural colors to make beautifully subtle pastel macarons, but I can also make bright and bold designs by using natural colors to paint on macaron surfaces. This is best showcased in my most current project- macaron cakes themed around the astrological signs.
As for bread, creativity is best flexed within the complexity of perfecting a dough. Gluten- free bread is even more difficult to achieve, but over the course of more than 2 years, I finally crafted a recipe that not just tastes exactly like bread- but it tastes exactly like amazing bread! My 100% gluten free bread is also available on my website for ordering.
In the future, I would love to experiment more with vegan baking. This is not out of personal choice, but more for expanded inclusivity of those with the vegan and dairy free lifestyle. Unfortunately, we live in a time when certain ingredients are not as widely available- but this challenge only inspires me to keep pushing to give my clients a delicious, affordable product.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Apps: Square (for website and sales), Instagram (for inspiration and collaborating with others), Facebook (for engaging with community, marketplace and looking for events), Eventbrite (for hosting and marketing events), Canva (for branding and design), Capcut (for making engaging videos), Gmail (for communication), Spotify (for jamming out and podcasts), Pinterest (for recipe inspiration)
Facebook Groups: All Things Macarons- Tips, Tricks and Techniques, Sugar Cookie Marketing, Sourdough Geeks, All Things Food in Cleveland, Ohio
Podcasts: Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing, Kitchen Notes, CLE Foodcast, Fincancial Feminist, The Art Marketing Podcast
Blogs: The Pantry Mama, Pies and Tacos
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artofbreadbakery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofbread.bakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofbreadbakery/
