Daily Inspiration: Meet Victoria Poull

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Poull.

Hi Victoria , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Although Honeycomb Pastries may be a fresh business to the Flagstaff community, I personally have been professionally working in the baking and pastry field for the past nine years. I was lucky enough to know that I always wanted to be a baker. Books, movies, and baking with loved ones helped to shape this passion, but it took working in the professional field to truly know that this is where I wanted to be.

I remember flipping through magazines, watching Iron Chef, and recipe testing all through grade school. I was so excited to finally get into a hospitality class in high school, and then signed up for pastry camp at the Art Institutes of Chicago. That was where I got my first knife kit and chef coat, and learned all about proofing, tempering chocolates and laminating dough. This class helped to solidify my passion, and shortly after I attended Robert Morris University, earning my Bachelor of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.

Though I knew I wanted to work with pastries, my parents thought it would be wise to get a culinary degree. I started an externship at a gluten free bakery where I learned about gluten free and vegan baking techniques. After I completed the program, I moved to Florida where I baked for a cupcake shop and learned baking and decorating techniques. My work at the time was subpar, but it is a good reminder of where I started and the ability to continuously learn.

A little over 5 years ago, I moved from Chicago, IL to Flagstaff, AZ. I fell in love with the gorgeous mountain town and the supportive community. Working for Sodexo at Northern Arizona University for most of those years, I learned more about decorating, which allowed me to hone my own style. Sodexo also taught me how to bake in mass quantities, which proved to be challenging yet beneficial.

In the middle of trying to transition from special orders for catering to plated desserts at 1899 Bar and Grill, the pandemic hit. During a summer of so much uncertainty and fear, I created Honeycomb Pastries to bring a little more color and inspiration to life. I didn’t think too much about where the business would go, but looking back at the past year it has grown exponentially in a short amount of time. I have to thank Mix Flagstaff for a lot of that growth when they reopened with a fresh energy and look. Selling out of the Mix space has helped me market pastries, as well as bring in new customers for special orders for weddings, birthdays, and even casual date nights.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m nothing if not a straightforward woman, so I’m not going to lie and tell you it’s been a year full of bliss. Was starting my own business with little to no money in the midst of a pandemic when everyone is terrified of losing their jobs smart? Probably not, but I think it was meant to be that way. If the pandemic never happened, I would have been comfortable growing with Sodexo and never reaching my full potential.

Speaking of struggles, I also had a bad batch of Thanksgiving pies; I had switched to a new kitchen that I was not used to and the Pecan Bourbon pies didn’t quite solidify. I also may have had a bit of a heavy pour with the bourbon, which some friends were thrilled about while others were not too stoked on getting drunk off of pie. A bit of advice for you friends looking to start something new – make sure you are comfortable in any and all kitchens before you start selling products. I thought I was, but there’s always room for surprises!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I named my company Honeycomb “Pastries” to encompass a wide range of baked goods, but my passion is in decorating cakes and cupcakes. I have customers bring in some really cool ideas, or something they can see in their mind but can’t quite put on paper and I have the opportunity to bring their vision to life. Often I will be given full creative freedom on orders, which I absolutely love because I can test out new techniques or designs I’ve been wanting to try. As with any creative project, sometimes a technique comes out better than other times, but it’s always an opportunity to learn. I learn what to keep and what to take off the drawing board so to say.

The thing I am most proud of is how far Honeycomb Pastries has progressed in one year. I started baking out of my grandma’s spare kitchen, where I operated and created for 10 months until I grew too large and was able to move into the Mix commercial kitchen. Having worked in commercial kitchens for almost 10 years, it was a bit of a relief to get back into a kitchen I could produce mass quantities out of. Working alongside Mix, my opportunities have grown and I’m hopeful that in the next couple of months, I’ll be able to start hiring a team to help me create gorgeous cakes for any occasion.

The thing that sets me apart is that I am able to bake on demand a variety of items including allergen friendly options. Being dairy free and gluten free can make recipe testing difficult; luckily I have a lot of friends jumping at the opportunity to be my taste testers.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
A lot of amazing opportunities have come from both random conversations with people I hardly knew, and connections with existing friends and family. Some things came after I stuck my neck out and some were surprises that I didn’t know were blessings until later on. I’ve worked for a decent amount of business owners, professional chefs and creatives, and while some were extremely hard to work for, they all taught me something that I continue to use every day. I’ve had requests that sounded odd but I am not one to back down from a challenge, and most turned out to be huge opportunities for Honeycomb Pastries. What I’m trying to say is that you never know what could happen when you say yes to something out of the ordinary.

Another bit of advice I have (which I need to take myself) is that there is nothing wrong with asking for help. Again, this is something I need to do myself, but while I am a woman of many talents, I would rather focus on the creative side than the financial side. I’ve had a few mentors teach me the ropes of bookkeeping and updating my calendar. Though I have a long way to go before I feel comfortable keeping my own books, I know that I can always reach out to these mentors for any advice.

Pricing:

• 6″ cake-$50
• 8″ cake-$70
• 1 dozen cupcakes-$40
• 1 dozen sourdough cinnamon rolls-$40

Contact Info:

• Email: honeycombpastries@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.honeycombpastries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeycombpastries/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeycombpastriesflg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/honeycomb-pastries-flagstaff

Image Credits
Deborah Allen Photography
Victoria Poull