bake - March 2013 - 24

d
day] is given to charities,” Bowick says. “So again, our
give t
ve
harities ” owick says “
ritie
ys.
gain, u

that’s different, and unique to this region, becomes
h t s fferent a
ent
ni ue
h s g on eco es

n
name keeps popping up in positive associations.”
eeps
p
pping
ositive associat on .
i
s o a

stronger W ell t
stronger. We sell it to our customers that way and
to e
l
o
ustomer that a
om rs
t
d
I think they appreciate that it’s something unique,”
thin they ppreciat hat t’ someth n un q e,
nk
y
re iat

T movement
The movement to locally source ingredients continues
vemen
locally s u e g ed en s o tinues
call
nu

Bowi k ay .
Bowick says. But Sugar accommodates Charlestonians
wi
t ug
c ommodate Char eston ans
m ate
es

to a h m
to gather momentum. Any time a food service busientum A time
u
e
o servi
v
us

wi h ocal trad ti na fa orite as
with local, traditional favorites as well. “Huguenot
cal,
l
nal
tes
te
ll. Hugu not

ness
ness can source its ingredients locally, it reﬂects posis
urce i i g dient local y, re e
n
call
os

Torte, hich some hin hat s nown roun
Torte, which is something that’s known around here
rte,
t
ich
ometh
e
ere

tive on e r nd. n d itio t o a
tively on the brand. In addition to local eggs and local
vel
e
o
g n o a

as a holiday dessert, we’ll introduce that around
s
ol day
ss rt we l ntroduce th t ro n
c hat roun

honey, ugar ushes h s staina ility ac o ur her.
honey, Sugar pushes the sustainability factor further.
e
na
y
er.

Christma time,” ouffar ays
Christmas time,” Bouffard says.
me
ar

Beeswax birthday candles for Sugar birthday cakes
e s a b rthday a d
thd
o ugar irth a ca e
gar
h
ar ommissio ed. Th
are commissioned. The beeswax used comes from the
s
e swa s d o es rom h
o

Sugar
Sugar’s Lady Baltimore Cake bonds the bakery’s
ga
a y alt more ak bo d th b kery s
he

b s h make
bees that make Sugar’s local honey.
k
gar’s ocal on y
r’

br n t he ty. Peop e ss c ate ha wit
brand to the city. “People associate that with
eop
ssoc
with
Char eston an no
Charleston, and now they’ve started to associate it
harle
r
nd
hey’v tar e to ssociate
y’v
ate

Spec ﬁ
Speciﬁc to location
eciﬁ
oc t n

w th ug r
with Sugar,” Bouffard says. “I think we’re pretty much
uffar says “I hi k e’ e e t mu h
ar
uch

Smal
Sma e et l akerie
Smaller retail bakeries do a majority of their busir
j r t of heir us -

th o ly eopl wh do on
the only people who do it on a retail level. A lot of
tai le e
ot

n s lose
ness close to home. The city, district or area in which
o e
home h ci y district
o e
istri
ict
ar a which
c

ol Char estonians e to
old Charlestonians used to make their own, and now
a
k hei wn, nd ow

they c t h m elves r v des al o
they locate themselves provides almost all of their
y
e
l
t ei

th y’l come
they’ll come to us for it.”
’ll
us or t.

cust mers u a nderstoo this The m in ompo
customers. Sugar understood this. The main compot
e
o
s h
p
nent
ne t
nent of its brand, the products, reﬂects the bakery’s
t ra d h
oducts
cts, ﬂ cts th bake y s
bake

Short afte Suga pened ts
Shortly after Sugar opened its doors, a native of
ortl fte
ned
ors native
native

immediate surroundings and customers.
mmed ate surroundings d us o e s
r
dn

Charleston ea d
Charleston heard of Sugar’s Lady Baltimore cake. He’d
harlest n
ugar ’ Lady
ady
lt mo e a e. e
had
ha to
had to go a few towns over to get one in the past, but
fe town ver
ge n n he ast, u
t,

Th h lidays v b e i
The holidays give bakeries some of their largest
lida
ome f he r rges

n
now he can buy it from Sugar. “I’m really proud of the
e an
y fr m uga “I m eall
gar
l
ro
of he

or e
orders and highest proﬁts of the year. Parties and
ighe
hest oﬁts
h year art e and
r

fact that we’re doing those things,” Bowick says.
a t a we r do n thos h ng ” o ick say
doin
ose
s
ays

g herin s e o v
gatherings revolve around food and everyone wants
ings
ound food d eryon want
o d
one
n
n
a great dessert. Traditional holiday ﬂavors usually rule
grea dessert. aditional olid
eat
ssert
ditio
iday vors sual y ule
d
r
ally
this time of year, but your location matters. Sugar
hs m
ear, ut o
r,
ocati
tion
t e s Suga
gar
adds t ngth o s r d
adds strength to its brand by thinking of the city its
thin g
inki
n
h i
c stomers i
customers live in.
omer
n.
In Charleston, SC, citrus begins coming into season
n harlest
s
C itru b gins omin into easo
u
n
o
arou d
around the holidays, but it’s not necessarily a time
u
ol days,
s
t
o e ess rily time
ssa
im
wh
when people think, “let’s have citrus,” Bowick says.
eopl think et hav itru Bowick y
ople i
ve
rus, o i
Sugar’ ho g fulne
Sugar’s thoughtfulness led them to embrace the
r
n
d e
mbra e he
brace
seasonal ruits f
seasonal fruits of its city, further differentiating its
asona ruit
ity, u t
iffer n ati g ts
b and from
brand from the status quo. “It really is associated
m
quo.
eall is sociate
lly
ca
with
wi h h rlest
with Charleston, so we decided at Christmas time
le
e ided
d
Christma t me
tmas
to really focus on that.
e lly focu o
cus
u
t
t.
“Instead of trying to feel like it should always be
I stead
tryi g
y
e ike
ould always
way
cold
co d
cold and snowy, the idea of doing something
nowy h d
wy,
doin someth n
ing me

24 < MAR 2013 | bakemag.com
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