Baked Goodness is Just a Scone's Throw Away

It’s a family affair at The Scone Pony.  

No, not the nightclub farther up the coast in Asbury Park. This is a specialty bake shop nestled at 305 Washington Ave., Spring Lake.

“Initially, people are drawn in for scones, but after they see the rest of our products, they become enamored of everything,” said Debra Buruchian, Belmar, who mentioned “I am not a baker, I’m the business end,” and is responsible for The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe’s  business affairs, PR, and pitching in at the bakery.  

However, the former CEO of a telecommunications firm in Philly noted, “I’m a very good taster, and I know a good product when I see one.”

The baking dynasty was begun and is overseen by matriarch, Mary Ann Buruchian, Belmar, who’s been a pastry chef for more than 30 years, and bakes at the shop daily.  

“I went to Hudson County Community College because I wanted to learn ice sculpting, but I was in a very successful pastry business for 12 years,” she stated, noting she started baking for her family and it just evolved.

The quaint, 750-square-foot Scone Pony opened three years ago, but evolved from its wholesale business which was in operation three years prior.  

“We started out in the wholesale business; we couldn’t keep up with the demand,” said Debra, who continued “I’m not a baker, I couldn’t even attempt to do it to get it to that level; I’m a very good taster.”

The shop’s specialty scones are created on-site by sister, Tara Conaton, Wall, for the bakery, and brother Ronald Buruchian, also Wall, for the wholesale business.  

“The scones have gotten a very loyal and fervent following; it’s very gratifying,” said Conaton, who previously worked with Debra, and whose husband, John, is responsible for the bake shop’s name.

“My sister, mother and brother would make scones for Christmas brunch, and friends and family started tasting and we made them informally on a limited basis,” stated Debra.  “We decided we were on to something, so we distributed to businesses in the area and we outgrew the wholesale kitchen in Belmar, then moved to Spring Lake.”

Ronald, a former bartender, claimed it takes him approximately 40 minutes to make 56 scones, but “It’s a labor of love,” said the composed baker.  

He said he makes about 200 scones a day, while Tara makes about 300 for the afternoon batch.

Patrons were overheard saying the delicacies were “Incredibly moist; you can taste the butter” and “light as a feather.”  

The scones are offered in varieties such as cherry apricot, blueberry, chocolate chip, cranberry orange, peach pineapple, and the bestselling vanilla bean with vanilla glaze.

“People go insane for our vanilla bean scone,” noted Debra, stating there is no unpopular item on The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe’s menu, because if an item isn’t selling it’s removed from the menu.

Oddly enough, despite the fact that, according to Debra, “People love these scones – there’s a lot of buzz about them,” scones account for only 35 percent of the bake shop’s sales. 

What about the remaining 65 percent?  She noted they started out with scones, but now have a full product line.  

“We have cupcakes; my mother makes a specialty Napoleon cake.  People come in and they walk out with more than scones,” she said, praising her mother.  “She’s up there with the great pastry chefs, she’s passionate about the culinary arts.”

The shop’s display cases are bursting with pastries such as artfully decorated cupcakes and cakes, petit fours, Venetian cookies, fruit pies, turnovers, whoopie pies, brownies, peanut butter cheesecake bites with chocolate ganache and other delicacies to tempt the palate.

The energetic and perpetually young Mary Ann opined her Napoleon cake is “outrageous,” and does contribute baking everything, but confessed, “I like to make pies.  I like anything intricate.”

The woman lovingly described by Ron as a “natural force feeder” who has a “heavy hand with the butter” is responsible for the chocolate truffle cake.  The flourless cake – overheard described by customers as “awesome,” and “ … tastes like a piece of fudge,”  – features two different chocolates, and a layer of seedless raspberry jam topped with chocolate ganache, and is ideal for gluten-free patrons.

Sinful are The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe’s chocolate ganache-topped brownies created with ingredients such as butter, heavy cream, and three different chocolates.

Sure, you’re thinking “Baked goods.  Carbs.  Weight gain,” but these baked goods are worth it.  Furthermore, it’s nothing a walk or jog on the boards won’t remedy.

The carb-conscious may opt for chocolate-stuffed strawberries or any one of Mary Ann’s fruit pies, for which “We’ll search all summer long for the best blueberries, the best strawberries,” claimed Debra.

These berries also comprise Ronald’s favorite scone. 

“Mixed berry – it’s my favorite to make and eat.  It’s also our most popular,” he stated.

The hardworking Tara is a bit more diverse.  

“My favorite changes on a regular basis.  I do love to make seasonal products.  During the fall we make stuffed pumpkin scones, during Christmas, eggnog, and in March, Irish soda bread scones – so festive,” and noted The Scone Pony uses “the freshest seasonal ingredients.”

Both Ron and Tara are more than content concentrating on scones, as Ron claimed “Absolutely – I like to cook; I’m a natural cook,” and Tara – who’s  been making scones 15 years for holiday affairs – stated, “The positive response we got from people and the excitement surrounding the scones encouraged us to build our business around it.”

Scones aren’t just for breakfast anymore.  The devoted Mary Ann also makes scones, but savory scones such as black forest ham and gruyere, and cheddar cheese and bacon.  The woman Debra calls the “head honcho” who “had this passion that rubbed off on everyone else” isn’t thrilled about rising at 3 a.m. to put in 12- to 17-hour days, but the camaraderie makes up for it.  

“The best part is the people you meet," she said. "It’s very rewarding; they’re so appreciative.  They say ‘Don’t ever leave.’”

The Buruchians are joined in the shop by three pastry chefs from culinary arts schools, one customer service woman; and four part-time front-end employees, but Mary Ann and Tara are the driving forces behind ensuring top-quality products go into their baking.

Although The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe is open four days, the family works the other three whether it be baking or, as Mary Ann and Tara do, driving to several locations – sometimes as far as New York – to get specific ingredients.  The high quality ingredients include bourbon vanilla, Callebaut and Valrhona chocolate, and European Plugra butter.

The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe is raking in the dough, pardon the pun. 

“We make hundreds of scones a day and usually we sell out.  We’ve come up with a unique product that people have embraced,” noted Debra. “Our scones are different from any other scones – the texture, the taste, the quality of the product.  When we started to sell to other stores, people just became passionate, and there was a lot of excitement for the scones.”

Excitement, indeed.  They have been described by a renowned  internationally recognized daily newspaper based in New York as “crumby, cakey scones.”  The delicacies and other baked goods are enjoyed by not only local customers, but also a prominent TV legal analyst and author, and former NFL star turned sports commentator Tony Siragusa.

The shop, a member of Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce, divides its business with 70 percent in-house, 30 percent wholesale.  Wholesale scones are distributed to 25-30 specialty stores in the area, and also shipped locally, with a few out-of-state requests.

Spring through fall is the busiest season, although “We’re very busy at Thanksgiving because of all the pies, and at Christmas we offer yule logs,” she commented, noting the clientele covers every demographic, with children coming in daily for whoopie pies, and devotees for the shop’s bread.

The bake shop’s scones are $3, and $3.75 for savory scones.  Prices at the shop range from $2.25 for petit fours to $28.95 for specialty cakes.  Cookies are $26.95 a pound, but well worth it, as a patron described the peanut butter sandwich cookies as “Unreal, like something I’ve never tasted before!”

If all the previously mentioned baked goods don’t inspire you, The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe also fills special orders, such as 50 pink and gray elephant shortbread cookies for a recent shower.  More unusual was a marriage proposal … in cupcakes with fresh roses surrounding them, and the engagement ring in the center of the arrangement, or a unique invitation written on six peanut butter cheesecake cupcakes with ganache: “PROM??”

 The shop was bustling with customers on a gorgeous spring day, ranging from women with infants to seniors.  The “lunch crowd” followed, perhaps for one of Mary Ann’s savory scones, chicken pot pie or her bestselling seven-cheese macaroni and cheese.

“People come in for peace and happiness, just for a little bit of pleasure, and it’s like immediate gratification,” said Debra.

Clientele are greeted by an attractive hutch housing butters by Mairhead of Ringoes, honey by Savannah Bee Company, and jams such as blueberry lemon ginger and banana rum pineapple by Earth & Vine Provisions – all complementary to scones.  The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe also carries teas by Harney & Sons, and micro-roasted coffee made by a local vendor.  Wrought iron pastry stands are filled with the piece de resistance:  scones, donut muffins, croissants, apple galettes and other baked goods.

“When people come in and taste our stuff and you see the look on their face – they’re in heaven,” stated Debra, noting that was the best part of her day, and running out of an item, her worst, as “I don’t like disappointing people.”

But, whatever stock is left over fresh from the day is donated to the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

Although the kitchen area comprises two-thirds of the shop, the family has no immediate plans for expansion.

“The charm of the place is its size; we don’t want to become too commercial,” said Debra, but mentioned another retail store in the future is not out of the question.

Tara added, “I see us evolving and continuing to be a part of this lovely community.”

Mary Ann is just fine where she is:  “I’ll always be doing it as long as I can.  I want the kids to keep it going.”  Daughter Tara couldn’t agree more, stating “I feel blessed just to be able to something I love with the people I love!”

The Scone Pony Specialty Bake Shoppe is open Thursday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  Its phone number is 732-280-8887, and its website www.thesconepony.com.