Rising Stars: Meet Jacqueline Weber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Weber. 

Hi Jacqueline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always liked baking as a creative outlet. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I began baking nonstop. In fact, I was baking so much that my household could not keep up with eating all of the treats that I was concocting. It was out of control! I randomly decided to make a post on Facebook offering free baked goods (and free delivery) to family and friends. It was a huge hit! It got to the point where people began donating tons of ingredients to the cause. It brought me so much joy being able to combine my two passions – baking and making people happy, that I decided to turn it into a business! My late grandmother was an extremely talented baker who specialized in pies and cake decorating. I knew that I wanted to model my business after her and honor her as best as I could, so Junie Pie’s Baking Company was born! My business is named after her and every detail that goes into it always has her in mind, even down to the 1950s aesthetic. 

I started out by offering custom-decorated sugar cookies available for order through social media. Once I got somewhat comfortable with that, I decided to try my hand at pop-up markets. I participated in just a few very small markets and fell completely in love and knew that I was onto something. The following season, I booked with the Troy Farmers Market and things really took off from there. This Summer/Fall I will be back at the Troy Farmers Market along with the Birmingham Farmers Market, local craft shows, and even a few concerts! I would say that decorated sugar cookies are one of my biggest sellers for custom orders, so I am continuing to do that along with all of the markets that I participate in. All of the goodies at Junie Pie’s Baking Company are truly baked with love and I only use top-notch ingredients. I really love what I do and I think that shines through in my baked goods. I just want to help people taste happiness! 

I am approximately a year and a half in, but still consider myself at the beginning stages of this business. I have so many goals and will probably not ever feel that “I’ve made it” moment because that is just the kind of person I am. I will keep working until every goal is met, and then I’ll add more! It sometimes does not feel real to be able to do what you love for a living. I cannot wait to see where this goes! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been so many challenges along the way! I currently work solo and do everything completely on my own including baking, decorating, packaging, marketing, bookkeeping, etc. The only time that I have assistance from someone else is when I attend markets. My Dad comes with me to most of them and helps me with setup and sales. He is great at chatting with all of the customers as well. I am very lucky and feel so grateful for my family! 

I, unfortunately, have to do all of my baking out of a tiny apartment-sized oven. I joke that I have started a business out of an Easy-Bake Oven, but it really feels that way sometimes because of how long it takes me! I do not have a ton of space to work in and I can only bake 1-2 dozen cookies at a time. It has been really tough and limits me on how much work I can take on. I am already working from sunup to sundown 7 days a week and want to take on even more work, but sometimes it’s just not possible. I am definitely in the market for a new kitchen space that will hopefully assist in cutting down on labor time. I can’t complain though because I am able to do what I love! So even if I am working unreasonable hours, at least it doesn’t always feel like work and I always feel extremely accomplished at the end of the day! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in custom-decorated sugar cookies using royal icing. It is a true art form and takes me approximately 3-4 days to complete a cookie order. As time-consuming as it is, it is my true passion. I love helping make special events even more special for people! Being able to create a work of art that you can also eat is the coolest thing to me! 

I am also known for my huge variety of delicious cookies, sweetbreads, gooey brownies, cake push-pops, loaded cupcakes, and more! I have some really unique, creative flavors and only use the best ingredients. Trust me, I’m super picky about this! I think my creativity, integrity, and warm-heartedness is what makes my business special. I am extremely proud of every recipe that I create and refuse to even think about adding it to the menu until I am 100% satisfied with it. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was an extremely shy kid growing up and was not very sure of myself. I lacked a sense of direction and went back and forth with my career goals so many times. I always showed an interest in baking but never thought that was something that I could do as a career. I switched majors in school dozens of times and went down several career paths only to come back to baking. I guess it was meant to be! 

Pricing:

• Custom Decorated Cookies $30-50 per dozen
• XL Gourmet Cookies $30 per dozen
• Loaded Cupcakes and Cake Push-Pops $35 per dozen
• Sweet Breads $8 per loaf

Contact Info:

• Email: juniepies@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/juniepies
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/juniepies