Ruby made her culinary debut in Lancaster after relocating to the area in 2021. She came into the growing food scene with a background making baked goods for restaurants and other impressive accolades; including her experience instructing at YTI and her appearance on a Food Network baking series.
Ruby has packed a lot of experience into her time in Lancaster so far. Despite not having the “typical” bakery storefront, Salt and Light Pastry Co. is very successful and Ruby’s beautiful bakes have rave reviews across social media. The local / seasonal ingredients of her baked goods (including cakes, tarts, macarons and pastries) have caught the attention of many other foodies in the area and are now available by ordering online, or stopping by other local businesses – such as Butter and Bean.
Question 1: Starting with the basics, what are your backgrounds and the business’s background? How did you end up where you are now?
Long story short…I grew up in NJ/NY, went to PSU with plans to teach in New Orleans after college. While I taught briefly, I fell in love with the food culture and got a job as an assistant pastry chef in a really special restaurant. From there I went on to be a Pastry Chef at a number of restaurants in New Orleans before leaving to start Salt and Light Pastry Co. in 2018. When I moved to Lancaster in 2021, we built a commercial kitchen and continued the business!
Question 2: What was it like to be on Spring Baking Championship? Do you think that going through that experience changed the way you feel about other people judging your food?
It was an incredible experience and it led to me leaving the restaurant industry to pursue my own business. Meeting the other Chefs, opened my eyes to all of the other ways to find success as a baker and it gave me a lot of confidence in my own palette. I did this show when I had very little wedding cake and design experience, and the show is heavily judged on the visual results of your baked goods, so I was totally out of my element! Now looking back, I am proud of how well I did in that setting. I don’t think the show had any impact on the way I’ve felt about others judging my food. I’ll always be my harshest critic, that hasn’t changed! Some of the feedback from the judges I took seriously, but some was clearly for entertainment (both positive and negative), so I took it all with a grain of salt (and light!)
Question 3: Can you talk more about your experience as a woman in business / female entrepreneur?
Working as a Pastry Chef in kitchens was really rewarding and extremely challenging. Proving my competence as a chef and protecting the process and value of pastry among the other departments of restaurant culture was a daily battle. From when I started, through today, I often receive unsolicited advice, on how to run my business, what I should be doing, and a general assumption that I am just starting out, since I don’t have a storefront. I feel it is more challenging to gain respect as a female business and I have to prove my success, because it may not look like what they think of as a successful bakery. This is probably due to the style of bakery I have as well, not just because I am a woman.
Question 4: What are the most important things you would like the community to know about you or your business?
I care a lot about what I create. I am passionate about using the best quality products, handling them with respect, and baking things that I am excited for people to enjoy. While the business has shifted over the 6 years it’s been in existence, the quality and care have never changed. Currently, Salt and Light bakes for Weddings, select wholesale, and occasional pop-ups and markets.
Question 5: Is there a significance to the name of Salt & Light co? How did you pick the name?
It was important to me to not have my own name in the name of the business because I already have a hard time separating my worth from my work. Salt and Light has meaning on multiple levels, including the biblical reference that we are made for more in this world. Also, coming from a restaurant background, my desserts are balanced and not too sweet, often using salt and citrus (light) to elevate and complement flavors.
Question 6: Like a lot of other locals in the industry, I read that you spent time teaching/instructing pastry at YTI. Is there anything you learned from your own experiences while you were instructing specifically that you feel like you took with you to your own business now?
It was a wonderful opportunity to teach part time at YTI right after moving to Lancaster from New Orleans. I didn’t have my commercial kitchen set up yet, and it gave me time to settle in Pennsylvania and meet others in the industry.
Question 7: Do you have a favorite female owned business (or multiple) you would like to shout out or that you admire?
Erica Joy Bakes just opened a storefront in Lititz where she sells her amazing Gluten-Free baked goods! We met through the Lititz Farmers Market and I really love her positivity, kindness and comradery. She has created a really cozy and caring space for the new store.
Meghan Young of WishYouWell Bakery- I know they are about to rebrand with a new name, but she is also from the restaurant industry and is very intentional in her craft and how her and her partner run the business.
Emily Nicolella (Photographer)
Incredibly unique style of photography from a human that sees the world through the tiny and mundane beauties and doesn’t shy away from the pain and the truth as well. She is wonderfully kind and very funny.
Question 8: Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with me or the community?
Owning a business is so rewarding and so challenging. I don’t think I am groundbreaking in saying this. I am always looking for better ways to do things, and it all takes time. As someone who doesn’t ever want to let people down, creating boundaries and establishing clear lines of what the business is and isn’t has been the biggest challenge for me, but when I do, the business always improves, as does my mental health. I think it will be a lifelong journey for me of learning I cannot and should not be everything for everyone, and this is true for Salt and Light Pastry Co as well.
Check out Ruby’s website below to see her beautiful creations – she provides amazing options for any event and offers seasonal options as well! Follow her on Instagram to see the latest updates.
https://www.saltandlightpastryco.com
https://www.instagram.com/saltandlightpastryco?igsh=MXdzZm9raXZkeGNvbg==
Femme Foodie - Lancaster, PA 
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