Meet Rachel Gledhill of Edible Emotions Bakery in Ahwatukee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Gledhill.

Rachel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was little my Mom used to make sure that I always had homemade cupcakes to take to school on my birthday. On Valentine’s Day, she would make sure there was a heart shaped cookie with every kid in my class’ name in frosting. I guess that is where I began to love to bake. I would bake cakes and such when I got older, but it wasn’t until about 2012 when I had just finished nursing school when my passion started.

I learned how to make roses out of fondant and made a cake for a friend’s anniversary. Then it became my kid’s birthdays. There’s 4 of them ranging from 3 to 18, so we’re talking about a lot of cake. Then co-workers birthdays. In 2016 my co-workers at Arizona Research Center, where I work as an RN and Outpatient Manager, convinces me that it was more than just a simple hobby. They convinced me that maybe I actually had a talent. So I started Edible Emotions Bakery. I didn’t come by the name easily and it took a lot of thought, but I have grown to love it.

My tagline of “If you’re going to eat your feelings, make sure they taste delicious!” echoed my thought in life. I have been steadily building a business over the past year and a half. My customers are mostly family, friends, and the community of Ahwatukee. This community has helped me build my business because of their extreme support of local business. Now, not only do I work full-time, manage 4 kids, bake custom cakes, I am also starting a new product line of homemade gourmet marshmallows. Which are fantastic by the way. I haven’t had much time with my business yet, but I have grown so much over the past year and a half. Not just with business sense and cake technique, but as a person who always will bake with love.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Baking is never a smooth road. I have dropped cakes. I have stayed up until 2 am to finish a cake. I have had customers stand me up and let me down. I am kind of a perfectionist with my cakes so there is always something that I know I could have done better. Although most of the time my customers are thrilled with what they receive there will always be that nagging in the back of my brain that says I could have done it better. But, I have learned that with every cake I make I will always take it as a lesson on how to make the next one better.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Edible Emotions Bakery – what should we know?
I am a home-based bakery that really specialized in custom made cakes, from birthdays to weddings. If you ask a lot of people in Ahwatukee they will recommend me as a baker. We are a very proud and loyal community and I am very thankful I am a part of it.

I also work with a company called Icing Smiles and they find a local baker to make “dream cakes” for kids with terminal or congenital illnesses. I have made 3 cakes for them, but have only been working with them for a year. The look on the kid’s faces when they see my cakes just makes every hour, every sunken cake, every split buttercream worth it in the end.

As I start this new adventure in homemade gourmet marshmallows (and hopefully s’smores soon) I think this will offer Phoenix/Ahwatukee something that no one else does in this area. I am really excited about it and am ready to share with my community (especially knowing if I eat any more I will embody the phrase “you are what you eat”)

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First, my mom for creating my passion. The Ahwatukee community for supporting me. My co-workers whom I consider my closest friends (and sometimes my best customers). I definitely could not have done it without the inspiration of the amazing bakers across the world. Artist like Liz Marek, Ron Israel, Amy Archibald, Duff Goldman, Zoe Hopkinson, just to name a few have really given me inspiration and tools to succeed.

Pricing:

• Custom Cakes start at $4 per serving for buttercream and $6 per serving for fondant
• Cupcakes start at $3 per cupcake
• 1 dozen gourmet Marshmallows are $20 (but there are a lot of discounts right now)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.edibleemotionsbakery.com
• Phone: 602-561-8606
• Email: edibleemotionsbakery@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edibleemotionsbakery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edibleemotionsbakery

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.