Meet Vendor Monday: Gorham Village Baking Co

HELLO! TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANY.
​My name is Taylor Whitcomb, and I was born and raised in Gorham, Maine. I’m a Southern New Hampshire University Alumni, with a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts and Culinary Management. I’ve studied abroad in Italy, at Florence University of the Arts, and focused my education on breads, wines, & farm to table Italian lifestyle. 
After a few years in the industry I knew it was time to put all my time and love for the industry into my own business, and Gorham Village Baking Co was founded in July 2017.
I wanted to base my business in Gorham because my heart has always found its way back to my home town and I noticed a need for a local bakery. I sell most of my products at local businesses in Gorham and surrounding areas, with the hopes of one day building my business in the direction of the wedding industry + catered events. 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS?
​I have always loved to be creative. Working with food not only gives me the satisfaction of being creative, it also gives me great happiness + joy when complete strangers find love in the first bite of my sweet treats.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
My favorite part is seeing the outcome of a cake I’ve spent hours hand crafting. I also love knowing I had a part in making the day a little more special for a bride + groom with a beautiful cake or dessert table. 
 

​WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’VE LEARNED THAT YOU WOULD PASS ALONG TO OTHERS LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
I’m only a year into owning my own business, however, the best piece of advice I could pass on is the importance of making a connection with your clientele – it only helps your business become more well-known, in turn making it fun AND successful. Also … HUSTLE! A business you’ve always dreamed of will never just come around by waiting for the best opportunity. Take that leap of faith, and JUMP ALL IN! 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR TIME AWAY FROM WORK? 
My time away from work is always spent with my dog Harley, she’s my best friend and the best company in my garden. Also, always enjoying time on the lake or eating a good ice cream cone... I’m slightly addicted to exploring and finding new ice cream shops.
 
 
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT IN YOUR BUSINESS?
My favorite moment in my business is seeing it grow. I started by just selling my whoopie pies at Gorham House of Pizza, and I now sell to Fishermen’s Catch in Raymond and Carter’s Green Market in Gorham. I’m currently collaborating with new locations to sell products as I expand my brand.
This summer I’ve booked 10 weddings and I’m already booking for 2019! It’s always hard while you’re in the daily grind, but when you have the time to step back and admire your hard work + determination … it’s the best! 

WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS IN YOUR FIELD?
I’ve always been very creative. I took as many art classes in school as I could, even college-level art classes at MECA throughout high school. I first went to design school in college, which taught me a lot about colors, textures, lighting & basic structure. 
I’ve also always been a perfectionist. I would spend hours just to make sure one portion of my project was perfect. I’ve put every ounce of my time to make everything the exact way I envisioned it to be, even finding better ways to accomplish the outcome along the way. I ‘m my very best critic, which I feel makes me very different from others in my field. I always think of my next cake as my next piece of art in a gallery.
 
ARE THERE ANY TRENDS YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE OR WOULD LOVE TO SEE LEFT BEHIND?
The current trend I absolutely love is dessert tables with a small traditional cutter cake for weddings. I’m not a huge lover of eating cake myself... but if I saw a table full of desserts and pastries at a wedding, I’d be all about it! 
 
IF YOU COULD ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I would be Joanna Gaines. She is my idol. I have an obsession with interior design and seeing the charm in old farm house restored to their original beauty.