Conversations with Ashle Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashle Smith

Hi Ashle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Pie Eyed Pastry Co starter in June of 2020, we were work remotely and I found myself in the kitchen cooking and experimenting a little bit more when the hour to hour and a half commute got taken away! I was talking with my mother about wanting to start an at home bakery and try to sell things through Facebook and postings on community boards, just hadn’t settled on what yet. For mother’s Day that year my husband had gotten me a new food processor, I have made good pies in the past but not with a homemade crust, so with this new kitchen gadget I just had to try it. I went there some trial and errors on what was good, not good etc. And then with all crust and fillings of regular size pie, the thought of having a whole pies around sounded too dangerous for the waist line, and you can’t really sell slices of pie from home. I did a little searching to see what was being sold and whole pies were there but again I thought that’s just too much pie to have in the house so I thought of the next best thing, a mini pie!! It’s small enough that you don’t have to share if you didn’t want to but also not feel bad for eating a whole thing!

2022 was a year for pause, we had just had our last baby, work was crazy and my mini pies were out on the back burner to only really advertise around major holidays to give people a local option to take to a get together.

Fast forward to 2024, a few years later than everyone else, I got into sourdough breads! Yes, FINALLY ha, while everyone was getting on this train during the pandemic I was making mini pies!! But none the less I got a hold of some started and much like pies, the sourdough bread started to spiral with so many loaves being backed. I started to gift bread to family and friends. And then came the inclusion experiments, and gifting more bread! Everyone said I should start adding this to my offerings with the mini pies. So in September of this year I launched my website with mini pies and sourdough bread and being consistent with postings on social media.

I still alot of experimenting with pie filling and bread inclusions, I haven’t gotten any complaints from friends and family about having taste test or being quality control to make sure fillings go out the same way everytime!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has this been a smooth ride?……No there were definitely a few struggles. In 2022 after having a baby and then started a new jobs and not posting anymore it’s been a little harder getting the foot traffic back that I did in 2020 and 2021.

Also, not having a store front to be able to show off all the goodies in person and just relying on pictures on social media and websites can be a little challenging at times, or missing the message from someone who wants to order.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Pie Eyed Pastry Co is my side hustle that would love to make a full time career. By day I negotiate contracts in the healthcare world, and by night I bake my heart out. There are a few things with doing this I am proud of, I am showing my two girls that with consistent dedication on something you love and have passion can be rewarding.
Yes I have a Monday-Friday “corporate job” that is needed, I haven’t let the loving of baking and making new creations go. And showing them making things homemade from scratch doesn’t have to be hard and that trials and errors make you take much better!!

What matters most to you? Why?
This matters most to me because cooking and feeding people is my love language, it makes me the most happy! Getting emails, messages, texts etc about how someone enjoyed something I made them, makes me excited to get the next order and make the next person happy.
As cheesy and cliche as it is, “Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness” -Auguste Escoffier

Pricing:

• Pies $5 or 5 for $20
• Bread $10-$12

Contact Info:

• Website: https://PieEyedPastryCo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pie_eyed_pastry_co/profilecard/?igsh=MTRxejd6M3JvdGRuOQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18VEtjjSFA/

Image Credits
Ashle Smith