We recently connected with Ashlee Ruehs and have shared our conversation below.

Ashlee , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

The story behind the name of Stash Bakery is very near and dear to my heart. Since I was a young girl, I have always dreamed of owning a bakery with my family. The goal has always been that I would be the baker and we would have a café menu consisting of sandwiches. My dad’s claim to fame in our family is his griddled sandwiches! So, Stash is a combination of our names, Steve and Ashlee!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a university and industry trained pastry chef! I have worked in high-end hotels, upscale restaurants, and other small, local restaurants! I have known what my career path was since I was about 8 years old. I could always be found in the kitchen with my grandma or mom whipping up delicious baked goods!

I started Stash Bakery to be able to bring delectable baked goods to the North Peoria area. I pride myself in crafting special and custom desserts that are full of flavor. High-quality customer service is another business quality that is extremely important to me.

I vend at local farmer’s markets on the weekends where I bring a variety of breakfast pastries. My most popular items are Cinnamon Rolls, Coffee Cake, Biscuits, and Mom’s Banana Bread. I also do custom order Sugar Cookies, Cakes, Cupcakes, and Weddings.

I am most proud of the community and family that I have created through my brand. I always want my market customers and custom order clients to feel like they are part of the Stash Bakery family,

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source for new clients for Stash Bakery has been social media! I think showcasing my work while also being personable has helped bring in those amazing clients!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Stash Bakery started as a little bit of a side hustle while I was a Pastry Chef at a local restaurant. I was working on building the foundation before making the leap to go full-time. The key milestone for me to take my home bakery full-time was starting farmer’s markets. I was able to get my name out to the community and gain a reputation for my Cinnamon Rolls and customer service. From there, I was able to expand my custom orders by gaining clients through markets or word of mouth.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stashbakeryaz.com
• Instagram: @stashbakery.az
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stashbakery.az

Image Credits
Carmela Joy Photography