January 27, 2022
“I used to work in software and engineering, and I have a background in chemistry as well. If someone had told me when I was at school that I would be a baker, I would have said they were out of this world. But I’ve learned that life just kind of just takes you where it wants.
When you’re young, you think you know what life has in store for you, and then everything changes so quickly. When opportunity knocks, you just have to listen. Even if it wasn’t an opportunity you expected.
It’s not just one specific thing that led me to being a bakery owner. There were many small moving parts in motion leading up to that decision. I’ve always had an interest in baking and cooking. When my child was young, we moved to Maine to get away from the big city, and I made the decision to go back to earn a degree in baking and pastry arts.
My husband Thys and I came across an available location in Saco to start a business, and we decided to go for it. That’s how our business, Fernleaf Bakery, came to be. We renovated the location, finalized recipes, and opened our doors in May 2011. In the beginning it was my business and Thys, my husband, would do the bookkeeping.
As business began to grow, I found myself overwhelmed by product demand. Even with another baker helping me, we couldn’t keep up with it. So five years in, it became a co-effort between me and Thys, because our small business had become a full-time job.
Baking is fun because it has a craft aspect to it, but there’s also a science to the process. In this industry, you have to think deeper than just baking. In the beginning stages, I had to consider what my market was and determine how much I might sell on a given day.
I’m also constantly taking into consideration how the tools I use and the environment I’m working in may affect a recipe. Two people can make the same thing and it will come out entirely differently, because everyone interprets recipes differently and there are so many exterior factors that can change the taste and look of each item.
Some of my recipes are original, but many of them are just different recipes I’ve received over the years that I’ve tweaked to fit my own style and taste. I honestly can’t remember where a lot of them even came from. My brownies, actually, are based on a recipe from a friend in High School.
The satisfaction I feel from baking is really incredible. I stick something in the oven, and magically it’s transformed into something else entirely. Being a baker means I get to create something delicious and comforting using just my hands.
Owning a small business is also fun. I hate to say it, but I like to be in control and I like being active in the process of creating something. Here, I have the direct opportunity to be hands on, try new things, and make big decisions. I feel so lucky I was able to pursue my interests here in Maine, and in a city that has been so conducive to small business.
My success as a baker has been made possible by the loyalty of the locals. People here work hard to uplift their community, and their support fuels us: Not just financially, but emotionally as well. Their support has changed our lives, and hopefully, our goods and services have changed theirs, too.” — Irene Lim