Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Parks
Hi Hannah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
So the legacy began with an overripe mango, some bananas, and a need to fund a mission trip. Back in 2021, I needed to fund what would turn into multiple mission trips to Central America and I was at a loss for how to raise the funds for a quickly approaching mission trip. My passion for baking had been ignited during COVID as a means of giving loved ones something to enjoy as well as meeting new neighbors. I also by this time had created one of my signature item, the Tropical Banana Bread ( a banana bread with a mixture of mangos and coconut). So, the Lord inspired me to bake to raise funds for both trips. I found that my friends and family were not only enjoying donating to the cause of my mission trips, but they truly loved the products. They loved it so much that when I came back from my mission trip and wasn’t baking as much they began to make comments about my lack of baking. A few began to mention that I should make it a business. So, in Dec 2022, I began to contemplate this pipe dream of having my own baking business. There were concerns and self-doubts since I was just a self-taught baker who baked for the love of it. However, soon I decided to make the step of faith and work on the basics of starting a business and by May of 2023, With peace from God and some support from close friends Hannah’s Bread & Butter LLC was established, and its vision and foundation would remain the same. That baked goods would be sold to help missionaries take the Gospel to the nations.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This has not always been a smooth road. While the baked goods and products that Hannah’s Bread & Butter makes are well-loved and received. The insecurities and self-doubts that I have wrestled with as Hannah Bread & Butter began its groundbreaking have not been easy. Thought of “this thing will never work”, or “Who would want to buy just banana bread”, or even “Why would someone buy baked goods from someone who is self-taught and doesn’t know the first thing about running a business”. There were times that others echoed the self-doubts aloud to me which only intensified the discouragement.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a professional self-taught baker. I baked things that reminded me of the experiences and joys of life. From my love of honey to creating a honey cookie, to my devotion to cutting back on food waste and finding ways to incorporate an ingredient that is over-ripe (hint, the Birth of the Tropical Banana Bread). My baking creations reflect the joy that the Lord has shown me. I started with perfecting my banana bread recipe and then gained inspiration from the multitude of different flavor combinations I could create from “just a basic banana bread”. The Tropical banana bread which has always been a favorite of many is a moist banana bread, with mango chunks and coconut flakes mixed into the batter. From banana bread, I began to explore the world of cookies and perfected my Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie as well as creating a spiced chai (I am always a fan of a good Chai) and a toffee oatmeal cookie. From cookies, I went into pound-type cakes, and the new fan favorite of the Heavenly Blueberry was born (a mixture of lemons and blueberries in a wonderful vanilla pound-like cake). More recently I have begun to explore the world of muffins and created two fall-based muffins that remind me of all my favorite flavors (A pumpkin muffin with almonds, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds and another muffin that is maple apple flavored. I specialize in making sure that when someone bites into baked goods they can see the ingredients, whether that is an apple piece, a mango chuck, a tree nut, or even a thin piece of coconut. I want my clients to know what they are enjoying. I believe that sets me apart. I also believe how I gain inspiration for these masterpieces is unique and special. I am proud of these many creations, but I would say I am extremely proud of my persistence in starting this business and the many sets of faith that it has taken.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love that it is a meeting place of so many different cultures and that you can go and find yourself immersed in that culture and show the aspects and characteristics that that culture is proud of. This gives me so much inspiration from baking, especially as I try the different flavors of different cultures. It then becomes a puzzle for me to figure out how can I replicate this flavor in a baked good as well as capture the memory that I experienced while interacting and learning about the culture. I grew up in the suburbs of North Houston where there wasn’t a lot of diversity. However, now I find my friends and those I call family have adopted me into their cultures and I can respect and honor them.
I NEVER thought I would live in a big metroplex. At one point I lived 4 miles from downtown Dallas and that was something I never dreamed of in my whole life would happen. I have always been more of an outdoors person who enjoys hiking and being out in the woods. So, to live where I have to find those pockets of trees and drive to find the trails that I love to walk is not something I enjoy.
Pricing:
- Cookies are $1 to $3 each (Min of Half Dozen Order)
- Banana Breads Loaf $13 to $16
- Pound Cakes $15 to $17
- Muffins $3 to $4 Each
- Sweet Breads $15 to $17
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hannahsbreadandbutter.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahsbread.butter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552619314322
- Other: https://linktr.ee/hannahsbreadandbutter
Image Credits
Certain photos credited to Silas Bijja at SBijjaPhoto https://www.instagram.com/sbijjaphoto/
The remaining photos are property of Hannah Parks and Hannah’s Bread & Butter LLC
