Social media has become more than just a place for sharing pictures – it’s now a place to start a business.
This week in the feed Kylie Bearse shows us how Black and Delicate became not just a new Instagram bakery but also a chance to start a conversation
“She had almost like a Rolodex but it was this black box of these recipes,” said Bryan Smith.
The first loaf of bread Smith ever made came from his mom.
“I found it was like cut out from a bag of flour, stapled to an index card,” said Smith. “It was for French bread and at that point I was hooked.”
Smith had been working in kitchens for a few years at that point, perfecting his baking skills on the side, when his coworkers encouraged him to take it one step further.
“While working at Dio Mio I was bringing in treats for my coworkers,” said Smith. “And they said, 'I can get you a 50 pound bag of flour for cheap.'”
And so he started Black and Delicate, taking orders for his treats through Instagram.
“Right now I’m keeping the menu really small,” said Smith. “Soft pretzels because I love soft pretzels. The cinnamon rolls, that's the one that most people have been asking me about. They take about 18 hours to make but it's totally worth it. Every time I bake them I eat like six of them.”
Bryan’s also hoping Black and Delicate starts a conversation.
“I'm 5[feet], 10[inches], 200 pounds and I'm a black male,” said Smith. “I think there is a stereotype where most people think I want to be a pit master or BBQ is my thing.”
He wants to represent aspiring bakers who look like him.
“When you think pastry chef you think young white woman just out of culinary school,” said Smith. “The thing I spend my time on is baking and food science.”
To be that person for someone just like him. Like the first time he found a cookbook from another black baker.
“The first thing I noticed about it, thumbing through it, this is the only book about bread that I feel represented in,” said Smith. “The hands look like my hands, he's got burns on his arm like I have burns on my arm and it looks like me.”
Breaking bread and breaking barriers all while bringing people together in a time spent apart.
Click here to see Black and Delicate's menu and to order.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Recipes and DIY