Meet Shannon Marsh | Baker and Pastry Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shannon Marsh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shannon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When the pandemic hit, my work managing a local cooking school was put on hold. Ultimately, my employer made the decision not to reopen the school. This was a turning point for me. While I did find another position with my company, I knew I would miss teaching baking and pastry classes as I had for years at the school. Baking has been a passion of mine since I was a kid and after culinary school I worked for a number of years in pastry kitchens around Atlanta.

I started dreaming about how I could keep my hands in baking on my own terms. In talking with friends and looking at other pastry folks who were pivoting during the pandemic, I realized that baking in my home in my spare time would be ideal. So, I went through the process to get my food cottage license and began the process of sharing my baked goods through my home kitchen bakery, Happily Edible After.

I bake a few times per month and I love creating menus and baking my favorite things. I publish my menus on my Facebook page and through email blasts. My customers order ahead and I meet them to deliver their goodies locally in both Woodstock and Roswell/Alpharetta neighborhoods.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think one of the biggest lessons from my career is that it is possible to change your mind and make a big shift. Even though I went to college for one profession, I decided in my late twenties to totally change gears and pursue something very different. I went back to school, got my culinary degree, and landed in Atlanta pastry kitchens for a number of years. It wasn’t easy work but I loved baking, both the precision and planning involved, along with the creativity. After a medical challenge in my thirties, I took a long break from kitchen work and gave myself a break. A few years later, a wonderful position managing a cooking school fell into my lap and I really blossomed at this job. It was kind of a perfect combination for my culinary skills, people skills, and organizational nature.

When the cooking school closed in 2020, I accepted an offer to work with my employer on the specialty team (that’s wine and cheese y’all) and am now the cheese buyer on the team. While I didn’t expect this opportunity, I think the pandemic has presented a lot of challenges and opportunities for many of us to grow in ways we didn’t think possible.

I started my home baking business in late 2020 and it has been another shift for me to try something entrepreneurial. I’ve never really thought of myself as a risk taker, but when I look back over the span of my career, I realize I am one. I’ve tried new things (and sometimes the universal has given me a little kick!) and stretched myself in many ways. Happily Edible After allows me the freedom to have something that is mine and I love sharing my baked goods with friends, neighbors, and the community. Baking is therapy to me and when I’m in the kitchen on my baking days, I’m in my happy place.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love good food and the outdoors, so my plans for entertaining a friend would definitely involve some or all of the following:

Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground (220 acres of beautiful gardens in North Georgia – we have season’s passes)
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Reformation Brewery in downtown Woodstock
Kennesaw Mountain for trails
The Union restaurant in Milton (delicious food, drinks, and wrap around porch)
Pure Taqueria for rooftop margaritas and tacos
Dutch Monkey Doughnuts in Cumming for a breakfast splurge
The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville
Jinya Ramen Bar in Alpharetta

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband Jay definitely deserves a shout out! He is my biggest fan and always encourages me to follow my dreams. He is my official taste-tester, logo designer, and label maker. And he knows when to stay out of the kitchen on my bake days….LOL!

Website: http://www.happilyedibleafter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happilyedibleafter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happilyedibleafter