Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Wadsworth.
Hi Amanda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I come from a long line of bakers. I learned to bake from my mom, who learned to bake from her mom and grandmother, and the tradition goes on and on. Spending a lot of time in the kitchen, I hung off their apron strings, learning old family recipes and traditions from a young age. Some of my fondest memories of my childhood center around my mother’s baked goods; like waking up to the smell of her rhubarb coffee cake. My mom always made a large cinnamon roll out of the scrap pie dough, and my sister, Pam, and I would always fight over who got the largest piece. My interest in baking came from the time spent observing my mom and grandmothers. Throughout my sons’ childhoods, I continued baking from old family recipes with tried and true traditions. One day in 2010, my son, Andrew, innocently asked why he couldn’t take a piece of apple pie to school. I tried explaining to him that it wouldn’t be easy to eat. Andrew then suggested that we make a pie he “could eat with his hands”. That idea became what is today, Tiny Pies. Andrew was 9 years old at the time and now he’s 21.
Tiny Pies are individual servings of pie, but they mean a lot more to me than that. Kit and I have poured our heart and soul into this brand — it’s a heartfelt labor of love. At 70 years old, my mother dove into the process of bringing our family traditions to other peoples’ tables, inspired by my son’s childlike curiosity. We have stayed true to the baking traditions that have been passed down from four generations in our family; everything is handmade daily from scratch using the highest quality ingredients sourced from local farms when in season. We offer both sweet and savory – (veggie and meat ) pot pies as well as gluten-free options.
Tiny Pies® has expanded to five locations — Burnet Rd, South Lamar, Westlake, Lakeway and just opened in Waco, TX. We also ship nationwide. Tiny Pies® has been touted in the O List in O, The Oprah Magazine, Katie (the Katie Couric show), Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Morning Express with Robin Meade.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is a little like being stuck inside a rubber band. One minute everything is going great and the next minute you’re dealing with a bunch of problems. No day is the same which makes it fun and interesting but also challenging. We have been learning from doing so if we make a mistake we learn from it and pivot and try something else.
Growing a small business has been challenging and moving from a small to medium size company has come with a lot of additional challenges. I would have to say that the last two and 1/2 years has been the most challenging time in the business because of the challenges around Covid. From staffing shortages to supply chain issues, it’s been constantly changing.
Even with all the challenges, I can’t imagine doing anything else. We stay focused on our mission to, “create connections in communities by baking up smiles” and that helps us get through the more difficult times. At the end of the day, we’re in the business of bringing joy to people through food and there is no better business to be in.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Tiny Pies exists to create connections in communities by baking up smiles. We create tiny moments in our people’s lives through Tiny Pies. We encourage everyone to take a tiny moment and be present and enjoy their pie by themselves or with friends and family. It’s the tiny moment in our lives when we are truly present that makes life special. Our goal is to create more tiny moments. We are most proud that our brand brings joy to people’s lives through enjoying a Tiny Pie. We celebrate the successes, special moments and everyday happenings with our customers. We are there for all the Tiny Moments, whatever they may be.
Tiny Pies® is the original tiny, hand-held pie company. Based in Austin, Tiny Pies® savory and sweet pies are made from old family recipes with the highest quality natural ingredients—such as farm-fresh fruit—sourced locally when possible. We offer breakfast pies such as bacon, egg & cheese; lunch and dinner pot pies like chicken pot pie and pulled pork mac & cheese, and dessert pies such as tart cherry, Texas two-step and key lime. Everything is made from scratch daily off a seasonal menu, just like how grandma used to make, but much smaller. Now everyone can have their favorite flavor and no waste.
Our pies are the perfect individual serving so they’re perfect for single people, and to share with friends and family. Since the pies are hand-held, they’re also the perfect for serving at catered events. We offer client gifts as well that are sure to make your customers smile and be glad they’re doing business with you. We also ship nationwide.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid has taught us to be nimble and to do more with less. It’s also helped us to remember that the only constant in life is change and that you always have to keep innovating. Creativity and flexibility are key to surviving a crisis like Covid.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.tinypies.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinypies
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinypies
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/tinypies
Image Credits
Annie Ray Photography
