An Introduction

Welcome to the Augusta Vegan Bakery Blog! Here, I’ll be posting updates, ideas, and inspiration that I come across during my baking adventures. I hope you’ll enjoy your visit here, and that you’ll check back often.

I suppose I should start off with a little introduction. My name is Veronica, and I started Augusta Vegan Bakery from the kitchen in my Los Angeles apartment last summer. I do most of my sales through Etsy, a fabulous marketplace for homemade goods, though I also fill local or special orders upon request. I absolutely love to bake, and I especially enjoy putting a vegan twist on the classics. I like to think that my baked goods are just like grandma would have made if she’d been vegan!

I switched to a vegan diet in the spring of 2008, and I never looked back. By removing all animal products from my diet, I’ve seen vast improvements in my health, energy, and overall morale. Veganism has also awakened a serious passion for food in me, and over the past two and a half years I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the kitchen coming up with new recipes. I’ve chronicled some of my food adventures at another blog called La Vie en Vegan, but I’ve found that Augusta Vegan Bakery has really proven to be the most rewarding outlet for my passion. I love experimenting with baked goods, and having the bakery allows me to stretch my creative muscles on a regular basis!

The name Augusta Vegan Bakery was a sentimental choice, named for the town in which my grandmother, Minerva, grew up: Augusta, Kentucky. I chose the name for several different reasons. First, Minerva was always a great artistic inspiration for me growing up. She was an incredibly talented watercolor painter, and left behind an absolutely beautiful body of work. On hot summer days, we would sit outside together sketching and painting the flowers that grew in her garden. She encouraged me to get my thoughts down on paper, no matter what they were or if I thought they were “good.” Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the hours we spent together making art taught me to be a better artist not only in my painting and drawing, but in everyday life. I find myself using the creative tools I learned from her in my cooking and baking on a regular basis, and it’s when I embrace this free creativity that I create the most wonderful results! She was an amazing woman, and unfortunately passed away earlier this year. She continues to inspire me daily, and having a small business named in her honor helps me feel just a little bit closer her.


My grandmother, in her twenties.

Another reason I chose the town of Augusta, Kentucky to be my bakery’s namesake has to do with the mood and feeling I get when I think of the quaint southern town. Though I’ve never been to Augusta, Kentucky, I have spent a great amount of time in other cities throughout the state, and I seen many photographs of what the town looked like when my grandmother was growing up. The photos evoke a sense of quiet and simplicity, and take me back to a time when days weren’t rushed and when family was the most important thing in life. On my visits to Kentucky, I find that these values are still upheld, which is a refreshing change from the fast paced L.A. life I lead. This is the feeling I want to convey with my baking; a sweet, simple moment in your day that offers breathing room from the busy outside world. If I were to open a bake shop, I imagine that it would have a broad front porch with white rocking chairs, a beautiful quaint interior with antique family photos on the walls, display cases with perfect little vegan cakes and cookies, and glass pitchers filled with sweet tea. You could sit at a table and chat with your neighbor, or just soak up the sunshine in a rocking chair while enjoying a cruelty-free cookie. My dream is to create a sense of comfort and calm while gently introducing the kindness and benefits of the vegan diet.


The family home in Augusta, KY.

So that’s the (very) long and short of it. I hope that I can provide some worthwhile thoughts and ideas in the future, and learn something myself along the way.

If you’re interested in learning more, please visit my Etsy shop, become a fan on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.

Thanks for visiting!