For Becky Lane of Westfield, life is as sweet as you make it.
Lane, a Kokomo native who lived with her family for 15 years in the Chicago suburbs, moved back to Indiana after a car accident left her with a wrist injury that took some time to heal. The family came back to the Hoosier State to be closer to extended family, settling in Westfield in 2016.
But when the pandemic hit and the house was packed – her husband Gary worked from home and her boys Max and Cooper were home e-learning – Lane decompressed by heading to the kitchen to bake, an activity she always considered relaxing.
What came next was an idea: Turn baking from a hobby into a business.
“I would bake or cook just for the stress relief and for the love I have for cooking and baking,” Lane said. “After a while, I thought, ‘Why can’t I do this?’ After I decided I wanted to go for it, that summer I spent making pies.”
Lane used her friends as unofficial taste testers for her creations, and in September 2020 officially launched her home-based baking business, Becky the Bakester. She started with neighborhood pop-up events and food truck nights, outdoor events, and taking orders for front porch pickup.
After a year, Lane realized that she wanted to grow the business even further, which led to her first venture outside of her own kitchen. In November 2021, she moved into a shared kitchen in Carmel, and about one year later into another shared kitchen at the Bountiful Board in Sheridan.
Wanting to find a place to call her own, this winter Lane found an available rental at 203 W. Jersey St., a sought-after development area of Jersey and Park Streets in downtown Westfield, where older homes are being converted into commercial buildings, flanked by successful businesses such as RIVET Coffee Bar and Roastery, Nyla’s and Greek’s Pizzeria of Westfield.
The Becky the Bakester store will officially open in April, with a soft opening this month, though exact dates have not yet been announced.
“Having this space, I am going to branch out more into savory items,” Lane said. “I’ve been making scones for the Westfield Winter Markets, and those have been selling really well. I’d like to get into more of the traditional bakery items like cake slices or cupcakes and bread.”
Baking is not just a hobby. Lane attended culinary school when she was living in Illinois, but at the time decided not to opt for a career in food service or hospitality.
Lane’s specialties include pies, gourmet made-from-scratch marshmallows and chocolates, as well as cookies, cake pops, and other sweets, all items she’s excited to share with Westfield.
“We just love the city, we love the schools,” Lane said. “We’ve made awesome friends here. I love this community. I’m a member of the Chamber of Commerce and I want to be a fixture in the community that people will come and say, I got treats from Becky the Bakester, or Becky the Bakester made treats for the school. I like to support the schools and different things when I can.”
Aside from her regular business, Lane has also made sweet treats for the Westfield Washington Schools’ “Laugh It Off” event and sells her goods at Westfield Markets.
Lane said she is scared but excited for her new adventure. She also said she owes a lot to her friends, neighbors, and extended family who have always helped her out.
“I feel like I owe all of them more than I can ever repay, but it’s just been so fun,” Lane said.
“The growth of this has been great. I have customers who have been with me since the beginning. It’s fun to have grown with my customers and have them see the growth. I’m just excited to take this next step. I’m trying to be a part of the community and giving when I can.”
Home Sweet Home
Besides her signature pies, Lane will have other sweet treats at her Becky the Bakester shop, including cake pops, cake slices, and specialty marshmallows.
“I just like trying new recipes, trying new flavors,” Lane said. “That’s what I like about marshmallows. There is absolutely no flavor in marshmallows, so you can add any flavors.”
Lane will also continue to take orders, both online and at the store when it opens. Gourmet marshmallows and treats are available for delivery in Indianapolis via Market Wagon.
Learn more about the shop and place orders at beckythebakester.com.
