Inspiring Conversations with Aaliyah Hammond of Tasty Plants Bakery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaliyah Hammond.

Aaliyah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My passion for baking was definitely born in my childhood.

My mom was always baking for parties and school events, so it was something that I was around. In middle school and high school, I’d cook with box mixes and I felt really determined to figure out how to bake from scratch to impress my high school boyfriend. I would take any opportunity to bake when I could; for extra credit in classes, clubs I was in, or for birthdays.

In the fall of 2018, I was in my second year at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee studying psychology and I was really intrigued with the vegan diet. I have always been health and fitness driven, so looking into different diets and ways to improve my health was something I did regularly.

I fell down the rabbit hole of youtube videos and articles about the treatment of animals in the meat and dairy industry and it broke my heart. I had cut out meat that past summer but I didn’t think that it would be something id do long term, but after all of the research I did, there was no way I could go back to eating animal products.

I started Tasty Plants Bakery out of my tiny kitchen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin because every time I would bake for my friends or family they’d have a fit that I should be selling my baked goods; so I did! My first sale was on the Facebook market and it exploded way faster than I could have ever thought. After only a month of being in business, MKE black, a nonprofit organization, reached out to me for a 350 cookie order to distribute at the Black Lives Matter protests.

It was a really amazing experience that connected me to the Milwaukee community, especially during such a painful time. It was a great feeling to take a step back from what was going on and just enjoy some cookies together. To have such a large order after only being running for a month was insane. The protest and collaboration were something beautiful that I am grateful I was able to be a part of.

As a black-owned, LGBTQ+, woman running a business, I strive to break down the stigma that veganism is only meant for White individuals. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re brown, blue, purple, gay, or straight; veganism is really for everybody and anybody.

It is important that anybody can feel safe trying something new without feeling judged or that it “wasn’t meant for them” and I ensure I display that with my customers. With Tasty Plants Bakery I want to show people that vegan food can be just as delicious(or better) as products that contain animals.

I love that most of my clientele is actually not vegan because it means that I’ve influenced someone enough to include vegan items in their diet and hopefully that carries over to trying more vegan options.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth path for me. When I first started I was working full time, in school, and doing an internship. So I would go to work, go to my internship then come home and bake until 2 or 3 am a lot of nights to fill orders.

To look back on it now makes me laugh honestly because I was so driven for it nothing was stopping me from getting those orders done. On top of struggling so much mentally in 2020 with the murder of George Floyd and so many others that were lost to police brutality or killed in the protests. It was really hard to see people who look like me and my family being attacked. It made it difficult to function like a normal person when so much was going on.

More recently I just moved to Arizona in early October 2021, so it has been a little challenging building up a more consistent clientele and getting acclimated to a new place.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Tasty Plants Bakery Stationed in Chandler, Arizona, Tasty Plants Bakery sells luscious vegan and allergen-friendly (gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free) baked goods. Whipping up every order with love and high-quality organic ingredients we make sure to leave out the eggs, dairy, and nuts.

Doing anything from small orders of cupcakes, cookies, cakes, or cookie dough to large party orders or special events. Our black, woman-owned, LGBTQ+ friendly company is on the pursuit to provide fellow vegans with a variety of decadent sweets to satisfy their sweet tooth.

We want to blow the minds of our non-vegans and dismantle the negative reputation of vegan food and that it doesn’t taste like grass. We are proud that we’ve been able to acquire a clientele of non-vegans and influence the way that people eat!

What sets us apart from others is that we truly are taking the time to use the best ingredients that we can and being able to produce a product that those with the most common allergies can enjoy without getting sick.

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
My most important lesson has been to just be myself and do what I love. Starting a business at 20, everyone has something to say about what I should be doing or how to do it constantly.

“Change this, do that instead” and of course, I’m always open to taking suggestions I still have a lot to learn, but trusting myself in the process to produce a product that I love and am proud of has been impactful for me.

Pricing:

• Cookies: 6/$12 12/$24 18/$36 24/$48
• Cakes(Vary by flavor general starting price: 4″ $25, 6″ $50 8″ $75
• No Tummy Ache Cookie Dough SML/$10 LRG/$20
• Cupcakes: 6/$21 12/$42 18/$63 24/$84

Contact Info:

• Email: contact@tastyplantsbakery.com
• Website: https://www.tastyplantsbakery.com/local-online-ordering
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tastyplantsbakery_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TastyPlantsBakery.MKE

Image Credits
Headshot photographed by Aaliyah Hammond