MADE in Downstate Illinois

Wildflour Bakery & Candy Company

CASEY

Right off of Interstate 70 near the Illinois-Indiana border, there lies a community that has certainly boomed over the last decade. Casey, Illinois is home to several Guinness World Record holders including the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, the World’s Largest Windchime, and the World’s Largest Mailbox. Each new HUGE addition to the town has attracted more and more visitors every year. The community has since capitalized on the influx of tourists, as many different shops and restaurants have opened to give folks other things to do while they’re checking out the big things. Enter Mariah Huddlestun, a local resident who was fresh out of culinary school.

“I was shopping locally downtown one day when I was approached by another business owner to open a small business bakery,” Huddlestun recalls. “I decided to open it within a three-month time period, and it has grown since. I was then forced to expand because my foot traffic was so heavy, so in 2020 I bought the Casey Candy Depot and relaunched it into Wildflour Bakery and Candy Company, and here we are now.”

Wildflour is located right next to the World’s Largest Mailbox, and you can find the World’s Largest Wooden Shoes inside Huddlestun’s shop as well. While those are amazing draws for visitors, the offering of sweets and treats is just as fantastic.

“Here at Wildflour we do a full bakery case, we have a novelty candy store, we also do custom cakes, anything from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays,” Huddlestun says. “We also have a gourmet chocolate case, vintage sodas, just a little bit of everything for everyone.”

With one step into Wildflour Bakery and Candy Company, sensory overload can kick in. The combination of amazing smells with all the bright, colorful candies and toys is quite the experience. The baked goods are Huddlestun’s specialty though, especially the jumbo cupcakes.

“Whenever I was in high school I started doing jumbo cupcakes, and from there I just knew that eventually I would like to have a bakery with those items in it,” Huddlestun explains. “So, everything that we make is from scratch, everything from the cake batter to the buttercream, to the toppings and garnishes. Nothing here is premade or anything like that. That is very important to me because not only are you getting unique flavor, but you’re also getting the good quality that you pay for. You could easily go to a normal supermarket, get cupcakes and pastries, anything like that – but right here you know it’s coming from our heart, our soul, and everything is homemade.”

The Illinois Office of Tourism took notice of Huddlestun’s dedication to quality, and recently inducted her into the ‘Illinois Made’ program, which celebrates the work of local makers, artisans, and crafters in Illinois. While she was completely honored by the recognition, Huddlestun is quick to credit the community for her success.

“It shows that you don’t have to go to a giant community in order to succeed, you can do it right here in your hometown,” Huddlestun says with a smile. “I just want to say thank you to our amazing customers for your continued support and coming back to us every day. We really appreciate that, and I couldn’t do this without you.”

Wildflour Bakery and Candy Company has made quite the name for itself in Casey in just a short amount of time. Huddlestun’s goal is to keep growing her brand one sweet treat at a time.

“In the future my goal is definitely to expand,” she admits. “Go to other small towns and bring them the bakery and the candy store, because I feel like not a lot of surrounding towns have this unique store in them. So, I believe that by me coming to them it won’t only improve their small town, but it will also improve my business.”

Much like the roadside attractions in town, Huddlestun dreams BIGso definitely be on the lookout for more exciting news from Wildflour Bakery and Candy Company. We highly recommend you follow them on social media, as they’re constantly posting weekly specials and other need-to-know information for visitors. Of course, if you’re anywhere near Casey during an upcoming road trip, you should check out their shop in person!