BELLPOINTE W.Va. (Hinton news) – Jessica Meadows Harbert started the Bake House after years of making her kids’ birthday cakes and her little brother’s wedding cake in 2010. She says she can trace her cake baking back to 1996 and that she has somewhat of an artistic background that fuels her love of cake decorating. Harbert said she picked up baking regularly in 2021 during the height of COVID-19 with her husband’s 40th birthday cake. Harbert said she received so much positive feedback on it, and at the same time, she noticed people were starting to sell the products they produced from their hobbies. It got her thinking about why she had never tried to sell her cakes.
Fortunately, in 2019, Governor Justice passed Senate Bill 285, the cottage food law, in February 2019, allowing individuals to sell homemade, potentially non-hazardous food items made in a private residence. Harbert went on to state that was all the reassurance she needed to feel comfortable enough to put herself out there.
Harbert noted that baking is fun for her and that the patience and concentration it takes to decorate is almost like her therapy. She went on to say she’s also a full-time registered nurse and that we often don’t take care of our own mental health. Having a hobby you love is important to your mental wellness in Harbert’s opinion. January is Mental Wellness Awareness month so she thinks it’s fitting to mention taking care of your mental wellness now.
Harbert feels like the most unique thing she’s ever made was a realistic tree stump cake. Her biggest seller is custom birthday cakes. Customers send her inspiration photos of what they want, and she creates her rendition of the cake. She says she occasionally gets orders for cookies or dessert cakes.
Harbert is running a Valentine’s Day special called the Bake House Big Box. It’s $30 and includes a jar cake and homemade chocolates.
Harbert says her largest orders are wedding cakes because they’re huge and include a lot of cupcakes. She also notes that there’s no order too small, so give Harbert a call for all your bakery needs.
For more information, reach out to The Bake House on Facebook, at 204 Miller Ave Bellpoint WV or by phone at 304-362-4327.
