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Meet Tarra Pigg of Cherry On Top Bakery in Thornton

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Tarra Pigg.

Tarra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved food- I love the way cooking and eating brings people together. When my family gathers, we usually gather in the kitchen. I grew up preparing food together as a family, reading from faded notecards that have been passed down for generations or listening to my mom tell me a “little of this” and “a spoonful or two of that” or “sometimes I add this and sometimes I don’t” with a shrug of the shoulders. Cooking to me is an art form, it’s one of the ways I allow myself to get creative and think outside of the box. I love creating new recipes and playing around with new techniques. I would like to think I have always had a knack for cooking, for baking specifically- maybe not.

When I started baking, it was completely hit or miss, one time I would create a delicious masterpiece the next time it would be a sloppy mess that didn’t even have the decency to taste good. It became a point of contention with me and I started baking more, telling myself, “I WILL figure this out!” That stubbornness led me to where I am today. With four nieces and nephews, I had a lot of practice making birthday cakes and the first question when I came through the door at EVERY family gathering was “What did you bring for dessert?” Somewhere along the way of trying (and eating) a lot of new recipes, techniques and creations I must have gotten it right because I started hearing, “Why don’t you have your own bakery?” A LOT.

Last year when I was managing a location for a small business and working in sales, I realized I wasn’t all that happy in what I was doing. I wasn’t passionate about it, so I took a leap of faith and chased something I was passionate about and now here I am.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think anyone can honestly say that the road they have traveled in life is smooth. Every journey has some bumps, and that’s ok because the bumps have lessons woven into them. I didn’t go to business school, I never took accounting classes or financial planning courses. I manage my personal expenses, but managing business expenses and financial plans for the future is an entirely different ball game. The stakes are high and I am learning as I go. That is really scary sometimes. I have poured my heart and soul into the bakery though and I am determined to succeed, so I learn whatever I don’t know and calculate and consider every move before making it. I know where I want to end up, it’s just a matter of carving out a path to get there.

Another struggle I have had is not being confident in myself and my abilities. Don’t sell yourself short. You have to know your value and the value of your time and work. I have a hard time not being the nice guy. I don’t want to overcharge people or make them upset so when I started, I was low balling on all of my pricing and estimates because I didn’t have the confidence in myself and my work. While doing market research and looking at other local bakeries I realized that I was on the same level and same playing field as them as far as the products I was putting out, but I was woefully undervaluing myself in a way that wasn’t sustainable. You have to have faith in your worth. I still try to make my treats affordable for my customers by offering a wide selection of treats and to make it worth their money by offering superior customization and service!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Cherry On Top Bakery, we offer 100% customizable, fresh-baked, scratch-made treats. I offer everything for cupcakes, cakes and cookies, to cinnamon rolls, biscotti, and caramels. I specialize in cupcakes and custom cakes, and I would say I am most well known for the cupcakes. I love cupcakes because they are the perfect size for a treat and are easy to transport, serve, store, and clean up. I try to offer unique flavor combinations and rotate special flavors monthly.

All of the treats I make are 100% customizable from flavor to decorations. I want every treat to indulge your tastebuds and fit whatever event and occasion you are celebrating. I fresh bake all of my treats, they aren’t frozen so they don’t dry out. Also, everything I make is scratch-made, so I can ensure I am using fresh, quality ingredients to create quality treats. This is part of what gives me so much control to create so many custom treats as well. I know exactly what goes into every treat because I’m measuring it and adding it myself, and because everything is freshly baked sometimes I’m making a small enough batch that I even hand mix it! I offer gluten-friendly and vegan treats to for people with dietary restrictions and am constantly working to expand our menu.

I think what sets us apart is the level of service that goes into our treats. I work hard to create exactly what you are envisioning and I have worked hard at perfecting my recipes so they are absolutely mouth-watering! Since we don’t have a retail location, everything is hand-delivered from our commercial kitchen straight to your doorstep or event location. We can include cards, balloons, candles, and pretty much whatever you need to make your event run smoother! We work hard so our service, and more importantly our treats are the “cherry on top” of your celebration.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was very shy and quiet. I spent a lot of time reading and keeping to myself. I had a big heart but had a very hard time making friends. Whenever I tell people now that I am shy and have a hard time making friends still they have a hard time believing it because I try to push myself out of my comfort zone to go talk to people and make new friends because those relationships are important to me. I had a big imagination that stemmed from all my reading and a lot of ambition. I had a wide variety of interests from writing, to being a scientist, I think generally it was connected to whatever I was currently reading or learning about in school. One day I would be playing with Barbies, and the next I would be covered head to toe in mud, playing hot wheels. I was encouraged to like and discover and learn about as many new things as I could. My parents have always been wonderful about encouraging whatever my mind was on at any particular time. I was organized, bossy, and stressed out for a kid-my mom used to tell me I was the most stressed-out kid she knew. I’ve grown to learn how to handle that stress better as an adult and I would like to think the organization skills and bossiness have helped me on my journey to being my own boss.

Pricing:

  • Cupcakes – starting at $33.00/dozen
  • Custom Cakes – starting at $3.00/serving
  • Cookies – starting at $18.00/dozen

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Alyssa Lucero Photography
ASchmitt Photography

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