The art of baking: From art galleries to the kitchen

Jennifer Much

Contributor

July 22, 2024

EAU CLAIRE – For as long as she can remember, Allison Peller said she has had a deep love for baking and could be found experimenting in the kitchen crafting treats for family and friends. Whisk in hand, she said it wasn’t long before she found herself transforming her passion into a business.

“I have always loved baking and frequently had requests from friends and coworkers for treats – with some people even suggesting I could open a bakery,” she said.

Baking up success

The idea of opening a bakery, Allison said, began to formulate in 2020 while she was living in Brooklyn, New York.

At the time, she was working alongside curators at art galleries – a role she held for 13 years – but said she was seriously considering a career change to baking when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“I used that time to consider all the possibilities and how I would go about pursuing starting my own baking business,” she said. “Ultimately, I decided to make the change.”

Allison said she relocated to Wisconsin and before long made that dream a reality and opened Peller and Co. in 2023.

“I am a cottage baker or someone who bakes out of their home, selling at local markets or through my website,” she said.

Peller & Co. Bakery, Allison said, specializes in sourdough crackers, shortbread and deep-dish cookies.

She said she offers a rotating menu of flavors to reflect the seasons, as well as specialty items, such as pies, cakes and breads.

Though she did not have an immediate background in business, Allison said many of the skills she gained from the art industry paralleled nicely with what she would need to be successful in the kitchen.

“I use the creativity, planning and research skills that I developed in that field in my business almost daily,” she said. “My ability to research has been particularly handy as I’m learning how to run a small food business as I go.”

Becoming a full-time baker, Allison said, has stirred up memories that helped the career change feel like it was meant to be.

“My mom baked a lot growing up, everything from bread to pies, and would often let me help, so it was also always a part of my life,” she said. “I even brought a loaf of bread shaped like a turtle for show and tell when I was in preschool.”

One savvy business woman

Allison said deciding to become a baker was a given, but deciding whether to be a cottage baker or open a storefront took a bit more thought.

“One reason why I decided to become a cottage bakery was for financial reasons,” she said. “By baking from home, my business start-up costs and continued expenses have been relatively low.”

Allison also said this option gives her the time and space to learn the ins and outs of running a business and “it allows me the freedom to grow my business organically and build a strong customer base that is more personal.”

“My business has grown significantly since its inception last year,” she said.

As a new business owner, Allison said she has encountered a few challenges – including dealing with the rising cost of food and supplies.

Thankfully, through networking, she said she has been able to tackle it.

“There is a group of cottage bakers located in Eau Claire, and all of us are committed to using quality ingredients, which do have a higher cost,” she said. “But all of us have also strived to price our goods similarly, so that our prices can cover the cost of baking our products, without making them too overpriced for our customers, and also without undercutting each other.”

Allison said most of her customers understand and appreciate the reasoning behind these choices.

“(Customers) rarely hesitate over the prices of my products – at least in the region I am baking,” she said. “Many customers are looking for products that are made with the quality local ingredients that I use, and are willing to pay for that.”

Allison said she can efficiently keep costs down by using ingredients that are in season and using them to influence her current product lineup.

“I like to bake as seasonably as possible, so my menu of products changes on a fairly regular basis,” she said.

As Allison said before, many of those ingredients are locally sourced – which makes a substantial impact on supply costs as well.

“I use quality ingredients that are sourced locally or regionally whenever possible, including organic flour from both Great River Milling Company and specialty flour from Anarchy Acres, which specializes in heritage wheat,” she said.

Batch by batch

Each week, Allison said she can be found in her kitchen preparing shortbread, deep-dish cookie dough, sourdough loaves and other specialty items to bring to the market.

She said she also mixes up and rolls out crackers a couple of times a month.

“I usually set aside days for separate tasks, so that I can create a rhythm and don’t feel like I’m switching gears all the time,” she said.

Allison said she is a firm believer in working smarter, not harder – so she freezes cookie dough, which allows her to prep large batches days or weeks in advance.

She said she even designates specific days for mixing cookie dough, crackers and breads.

“I often keep ‘bakers hours’ – starting work early in the morning, usually 5 a.m. for bread on market days so that most of my baking work is done by early afternoon,” she said.

By day’s end, Allison said she is ready for the market with four or five different flavors of shortbread, deep dish cookies and crackers. 

“There’s also three to four varieties of fresh bread,” she said.

Though her flavor menu is ever-changing depending on what’s in season, Allison said customers can expect to find her brand classics regularly.

“The shortbread, deep-dish cookies and crackers are probably what I’m most known for,” she said. “Over the summer, as the fruit comes in season, I will have rhubarb, peach and blueberry swirl shortbread. Or in my crackers, I will use fresh herbs, such as lemon thyme, basil and rosemary.”

Allison said Peller and Co. not only offers unique items, but the “flavors are also unique” – such as lemon rose pistachio cakelettes shaped like roses and rosemary-flavored shortbread decorated with pressed herbs and edible flowers. 

“I always have specialty items that correspond to the season, such as pies for Thanksgiving; pumpkin swirl brownies and mini loaves of applesauce bread for the fall; fruit hand pies and s’mores bars in the summer; or floral and chocolate-flavored items around Valentine’s Day,” she said.

Allison said she strives to emphasize the details of her products – whether that is flavoring, presentation or packaging.

“I pride myself on the aesthetic presentation of my goods – from my packaging to the setup of my market table and then the actual items themselves,” she said. “I want to give customers something that tastes delicious, as well as an experience of purchasing my product that is pleasing as well.” 

Some offerings, Allison said, have been inspired by her travels and Peller family favorites.

“I don’t currently use any official family recipes, but I do use family favorites as inspiration for the recipes I develop,” she said. “For example, my family loves rhubarb pie, so I created a rhubarb shortbread to taste like a slice of pie.”

Connection through crumbs

As a cottage baker, Allison said connecting with customers is especially important to her – and is crucial for business. 

“I meet and connect with customers through my social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, a monthly newsletter I send out and by talking with them at the markets,” she said.

Alongside markets and her online presence, Allison said she introduced a Crumb Club as a way of interacting with her customers.

“When I first launched my business, I didn’t have any markets lined up and needed to find ways to get my products to customers and/or get them interested in what I had available,” she said. “I came up with the idea of monthly clubs, where (customers) could purchase subscriptions and receive cookies or crackers once a month.”

Allison said Crumb Club allows customers to purchase bread once or twice a month.

“I allow the subscriber to choose their flavor of bread,” she said.

Customers are contacted via email the Monday before Crumb Club pickups with three to four flavor choices, and they select which one they would like to receive. 

“I make everything by hand and have a joy and passion for baking that I believe is evident in the taste and appearance of my products,” she said.

A sweet future ahead

Allison said she is proud of the success her business has achieved so far and is enthusiastic about the future.

She said she credits hard work and the community for that success.

“I have met an amazing community through the vendors I have become friends with at my markets and even the customers who have supported and championed my budding business,” she said.

Allison said one lesson she has learned so far is the importance of not only the community she lives in but also the value of asking for help.

“It is through community and networking that you can learn how to successfully run your business, or partner with someone who can help you in areas where you are weak, balancing out your strengths,” she said. “Even within this field of business, you can find support rather than competition.”

Though there are many bakers around the area, Allison said she is confident in her abilities, products and customers.

“I am proud to be part of the cottage baker community in Eau Claire and Wisconsin, and encourage the community to get to know who their bakers are,” she said.

Looking forward, Allison said she is content as a cottage baker but is open to new potential opportunities to expand if the opportunity presents itself. 

“With a growing base of regular customers, making a brick-and-mortar shop is a possibility further down the road,” she said.

For now, Allison said she will continue to focus on what she knows best – baking.

She said she will also continue to be adventurous in trying new recipes. 

“It brings me a lot of joy to create something that is beautiful, edible and can be shared with others to foster relationships and community,” she said.

For more information on seasonal offerings and market schedules, visit pellercobakery.com or follow the bakery on social media.