Business gives woman chance to bake for her hometown

LACONIA — A child of Lakeport, Heidi Follansbee recalls a life less complicated: meeting friends at the hairdresser’s, picking up some sweets at Jimmy’s Bakery, dinners at her grandmother’s house on Valley Street.

That nostalgic feeling is one she's now trying to evoke at her new business, Cookies and Cakes Hooray, which opened Oct. 1, at 585 Union Avenue.

Follansbee has been baking for practically her whole life, but even she is surprised to find herself the owner of a bakery. Her first interest was business, which she studied at Lakes Region Community College before becoming a manager for a couple of local convenience stores.

Baking, though, kept elbowing its way into her life.

“I started with cookies, and I really liked doing that,” she said. Follansbee started stocking her cookies at the convenience stores she managed, and they started selling faster and faster until she couldn’t keep up with the demand on top of her usual duties. She had also been selling baked goods at farmers’ markets, and decided that it was time to get serious about baking.

When she saw that there was a storefront open on Union Avenue, in the Lakeport neighborhood where she grew up and lives today, she decided to go full-time into business for herself.

“One thing led to another, and here we are,” said Follansbee, who is co-owner of the bakery.

As the name implies, Cookies and Cakes Hooray is more on the sweet side of the bakery scale – Follansbee recommends first-timers try her brownies or peanut butter fudge. On the savory side, she also offers loaves of bread and limited lunch options, such as occasional soups and sandwiches, and spinach-feta streudels. Follansbee uses her “Granny Mudgett’s” recipe for her meat pies, one of the near-infinite items she will make for special orders.

“I usually tell people, if they give me 24 hours notice,” she can make just about anything, she said.

The interior of the small bakery shop is painted in blue and pink, and Follansbee usually has “oldies” music playing in the background.

“I just wanted to bring people back to when life was simple,” she said. “That’s what I want, for life to be simple.”

Since her opening, business has been “slow, but steady,” and increasing, Follansbee said.

Cookies and Cakes Hooray is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the work week, with extended hours on Thursdays. She opens on Saturday until 2 p.m., unless she sells out sooner.

“I have loyal customers,” she said. “Once they come in, they come back.”