Plant Hustle Vegan Bakery

YUMMY TREATS EVERYONE CAN EAT

By Natalie Downey

When Mandy Manic, originally from the UK, moved to the states, she had a hard time finding vegan food in the area. An allergy had influenced her decision years prior to make the switch to a vegan diet, which led to her interest in learning about vegan baking. Mandy has spent the last ten years perfecting her vegan recipes and as she says, “Learning what some good tricks are to make sure your baking comes out well.”

More people are choosing a vegan diet these days due to allergies or personal preferences. The diet focuses on plant-based whole foods and eliminates all animal products and byproducts. A vegan baked good calls for some modifications and creative ingredient exchanges. For instance, butter is not vegan but is often used in baking, so vegan bakers must find an alternative to butter which will not significantly alter the taste or texture.

With very few options for buying local vegan baked goods, Mandy realized the community had a need for her products. “I thought, ‘There’s something that’s not available here’,” Mandy said. “Even though there’s a fairly big vegan community in Columbus, there aren’t many options for them.”

After completing the nine week “StartUp Columbus” program (learn more about StartUp on page 14 of our April-May issue) , Mandy turned her baking hobby into a local business. The program gave her a network of other local entrepreneurs, and working with them, she has been able to showcase her products to the community through pop-up events and collaborations with local restaurants. Her vegan baked treats, which include cakes, cupcakes, brownies and more, are occasionally sold at The Food Mill (3781 2nd Ave) and local French bakery My Boulange (111 12th Street). Mandy says this gives the community a unique opportunity where people can “Come in, get a coffee, sit down, and enjoy a treat they wouldn’t normally be able to get.”

Mandy also sells her baked goods through preorder, and has seen how her business benefits families of people with food allergies, and especially children. Being able to order an allergen-free vegan birthday cake that tastes and

looks excellent is a new and much appreciated commodity for people in the community. “It’s been really good. People with allergies appreciate being able to get a cake or cupcake for a special occasion,” Mandy said.

Paying special attention to details, Mandy has worked to perfect not just the taste, but also the appearance of her baked goods. Understanding that people want their brownies and cupcakes to taste and look like brownies and cupcakes, Mandy has worked to create a product that meets the needs of the vegan community without compromising quality. With customers lining up to purchase her treats at pop-ups and local restaurants, Mandy has no doubt earned a reputation for her top quality goods.

She owes much of this success to the support from the community in sharing her posts and getting the word out about her products. “People here help each other out,” Mandy said. “I think that kind of thing only happens in a smaller town.”

Mandy’s future plans for Plant Hustle include more collaborations as she continues working with local businesses to give the community access to quality vegan treats. She has a website set to launch in mid-April which will make it easier for people to order her products.

Plant Hustle Bakery can be found on instagram and facebook @planthustleveganbakery.

Mandy Manic

Owner Plant Hustle Vegan Bakery