Kneady Bakery Invades California

Two young ladies have taken that brave leap by starting their own bakery. Oh, another bakery, you might be saying, but these two have a unique spin on what they make and how they make it, and this might just be one of those bakery/caterers that actually stays around. In the fall Kneady will participate in Artisanal LA where many of the artisans aren’t yet accessible through retail stores or even through Farmers’ Markets.

The Kneady bakers call themselves confectionary nerds, rebelling against your ordinary, everyday bakery. They differ. They don’t make cakes or cupcakes. “Why do that when Sprinkles does it so much better?” said Ashley Guerrero one of the founders. When asked if they could just bake one cake their Seinfeld-like response was, “No way.”

The duo specializes in gourmet dessert and brunch bars, custom gift baskets, and unique treats, which can be ordered through the online bakery and delivered throughout Los Angeles and the coastal cities.

They’ve searched the globe for the tastiest ingredients, often local and natural, and do their best to use recycled and green packaging. They oversee all the baking. Gluten free and vegan items are offered alongside anything you might be craving.

Best friends since high school Kati Angelini and Ashley Guerrero grew up in the Los Angeles area but took the long and windy road to get where they are. Kati traveled the world, living for a summer in Paris, so she could study baking. Ashley learned how to bake from her late mother and her Italian grandmother. They both love the normal things we all love but to a heightened level: Disneyland, movies, music and traveling. They both love food.

Now they participate in Style Lounges for the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globes. Their gift baskets are delivered to the desks of Hollywood’s hardest working suits. They don’t stop with glitz and glamour. They also donate much of their time and goodies to nonprofits like Toys for Tots, Cancer Awareness and the Entertainment AIDS Alliance.

Their goodies have names foreign to many of us named after characters in cult films and television shows. They have names such as Rice Krispin Glovers and Lord VoldeS’Mores.

“It all started with wanting a Jazz club with a poker/cigar lounge and a minimum age of 35,” said Angelini, “but we realized neither of us would be allowed in.”

Guerrero added, “Clearly, it wasn’t the most thought out idea.”

Then they had another brilliant plan. It was to open a record store, and have bands play frequently. They said they didn’t want to struggle for money “selling” obsolete musical artifacts to “music snobs” that they couldn’t stand in real life, but enjoyed hanging out with at Championship Vinyl.

In their attempt to be unique, they embraced their nerdiness whilst perfecting their baking. It took them two years to give up trying to be the perfect coiffed bakers and just be themselves, and that’s their message.

So if you have a hankering for something named after your favorite television show, like a Game of Scones, you can search their web site for the latest gallery opening or wine festival. visit www.kneadybakery.com.

I haven’t tasted their goodies. The pictures on the site look yummy.