There’s an irresistible treat in Pierrefonds, Quebec that simply cannot be missed. It’s an online bakery that goes by the name of Sucrée Sam and it produces beautiful desserts for all occasions. Owner Samantha Noory’s treats easily rival the ones that appear on Cupcake Wars. She even works around her customers’ dietary restrictions by providing alternative options to vegans and those with food allergies. Her treats taste just as good as they look, too! Sam is the quintessential businesswoman who strives to do her best every time, is always eager to learn, and isn’t afraid to take risks.
Sucrée Sam’s inception occurred a year ago and is built upon years of passion for the craft of baking. As I spoke with Samantha over the phone, she recounted her days as a young girl in the kitchen. She was always there with her mother or grandmother and has learned everything about baking from them.
“It’s always been something that’s been a big passion for me. So, I just decided to jump into it and start my company because it’s something that I want to do for the rest of my life,” said Samantha.
When asked about the challenges that she faced during the creation of Sucrée Sam, she found it difficult to name just one. In fact, she expects there to be a lot more as she continues with her business. Luckily for her, she has been blessed with the support and advice from her friends and family, who have been a part of her baking career for a long time – her family gave her an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas when she was younger, signifying her first baking milestone.
“I was just the happiest girl in the world. The first thing I made were these little muffins and I was just so happy to go around and give them to my family. That was actually the first thing I ever baked,” she says while laughing.
Samantha may not have any professional training, but she’s always looking for ways to learn and help her business grow. Therefore, she’s ready to start taking baking courses in February. She says that it’s an investment that she needs to make since there’s only so much she can do by herself. Her perseverance is incredible – she currently runs Sucrée Sam without the help of any employees.
However, all her hard work is going to pay off because the kitchen is clearly her second home. While she has to find countless ingredients before she starts baking, the thought of baking itself is enough to make her elated.
“That’s when I get really excited. It stays that way until I’ve completed the final product. That’s the most gratifying part of it all–when you see all the work you put into it and how amazing it turned out,” she said.
Baking may have become a full-time job for Samantha, but some of her most memorable desserts come from the ones she made for her friends and family. One of them include the fondue cake she made for her sister’s sweet sixteen party. It was a black and pink three tier cake and it was the very first time she experimented with fondue. Another memorable treat involves a sewing design cake that she made for her friend, Nina. When you consider the sentimentalism involved with her baking, it’s no wonder that she cares so much about her customers. Their satisfaction is the most important thing to her, even if it can limit her creativity.
“I want to make sure that they’re happy and that it’s what they wanted. It’s sometimes hard enough to communicate with each other because they tell me what they want and I have an idea in my head, then they have another idea, while I put my personal touch to it as well,” said Samantha.
She’s also willing to gain feedback from her customers because she always wants to improve upon her baking. Furthermore, she admits that there are times when she’s not fully satisfied with the end result of her creations. In fact, there would be several things that she would change if she got to start Sucrée Sam all over again.
Samantha works in an industry that’s notorious for being “unhealthy”, but she actually prides herself on being a “health freak”. She even baked a raw vegan carrot cake for her birthday.
“My step-sister didn’t like it at all. She thought it was awful, but I decided that it was my birthday, so it was going to be my treat,” she says jokingly.
She has also done raw, sugar-free, and paleo-free desserts for her customers. She simply substitutes those ingredients with coconut oil, almond flour, dates, and apple sauce. She thinks it’s important for people to explore their palette as it may surprise them. Also, they won’t feel so guilty about indulging in sweets when they know it’s healthy for them.
Sucrée Sam may be her dream, but it hasn’t always been easy. She has a part-time job too and it requires great balancing skills. The support of her family, friends and boyfriend have been invaluable to her. They’ve helped her out when it’s too much for her, but they’re not the only ones who have supported her through it all.
“Social media has really been a good tool for putting my business out there. Facebook, Instagram, and I’m working on my website right now. I’m trying to build it along the way and it’s been hard, but social media has been great. I made a Groupon deal as well so that’s been helping and I’m also part of a vendor’s fair. I get to meet different people and learn about their business and they learn about my business. There’s a lot of word-of-mouth at the beginning.¨
It may be a one woman show at the moment, but Samantha hopes that she can have a small bakery with employees to call her own some day. When prompted for advice she would give to people who want to start their own business, she has one important thing to say.
“Perseverance! You can accomplish anything you put your heart and soul into. You have to keep at it until your dreams become reality.”
Images Obtained From: Samantha Noory