✨Behind The Apron - Meet The Bakers That Said No To Artificial Dye✨
Our second installment of this series!
Today we get to ‘meet’ Lacy Rhodes of Rocky Rhodes Bakery - Not only do I LOVE the play on words in her business name, but I love the advice she has - let’s dive in😉
1. Can you share the story behind Rocky Rhodes Bakery—what inspired you to start, and how has your mission evolved over time?
I have always loved to bake and wanted to own a bakery. In 2021 I decided it was time to leave the bakery I was working at, so it made sense to finally start my own! When I first started, I was making "regular" desserts, but at the end of the 2021 I got diagnosed with Celiac Disease so I switched everything to gluten free! As of January 1st, 2025, the bakery is also completely free of artificial dyes! My focus now is not only on how the product tastes and looks, but also on how my desserts makes someone feel physically.
2. You’ve built a bakery brand that’s both beautiful and intentional. What made you decide to avoid artificial dyes in your decorating work?
I've always wanted to use cleaner ingredients as health has been my passion. As I learn more about the ingredients I use, I think it's important to keep my business to the same standard of ingredients that I would use for my daily life. If I know an ingredient how shown to be harmful for many people, especially children, it feels unethical for me to keep using it.
3. What are your favorite natural ingredients or methods for achieving vibrant color in your cookies and cakes?
TruColor/Prsm Colors are my go to for most colors. I also love to use crushed freeze dried strawberries and raspberries to get shades of pink when possible. It adds flavor, but it's amazing how beautiful of pinks I can get with just dried fruits! I also love using cocoa powder for browns and blacks.
4. Have there been any challenges or surprising wins along the way while working with natural colors—especially when it comes to consistency or customer expectations?
As far as challenges go, balancing the PH in colors has taken me awhile to figure out. I've had to find out what works best in my own icing recipes. And I think the PH issue can vary depending on someone's icing recipe. I think this just takes some trial and error to get figured out. -I will say that I was very surprised with how well I could get dark natural colors. I was so used to only seeing pastel natural colors. So I wasn't fully confident that I would be able to fully transition my business to all natural. But I'm able to get all of the same icing colors with natural colors as I was with artificial!
5. Your cookie designs are stunning and feel deeply personal. How do you balance creative design with the limitations (and magic!) of natural color palettes?
I try to use natural colors to my advantage. I know that getting a bright red can be more difficult, so I try to use more muted colors if possible. I prefer pastels and muted colors over bright colors anyway, so I try to stick with those unless it's specifically not what the customer wants.
6. Do you have any tips for bakers who are just starting to explore natural food coloring—especially when switching from gels to powders or liquids?
Make your colors ahead of time! Natural colors need time to develop. What your red icing looks like right now, won't be how it looks in 2 days. If you are using royal icing, the colors also dry darker. I prefer to use the powders when I'm trying to get a darker color, but I will sometimes use the liquids when I want a lighter color.
7. What’s one decorating product or tool (besides food color) you can’t live without in your kitchen?
A kitchen scale! Life became so much easier when I stopped using measuring cups. It's easier and less clean up to measure everything with a kitchen scale.
8. Where can people find and support your work—and do you have any upcoming projects, pop-ups, or offerings you’d like to share with us?
I am on Instagram (@rockyrhodesbakery) and Facebook (Rocky Rhodes Bakery LLC). I do pop-ups and farmers markets on a weekly basis all over Fort Wayne, IN!
What I really appreciate from getting to know bakers like Lucy, is that we get to hear first hand what it means for someone to have a dream and go for it. Lucy is proof that it really starts with a dream and the sky is the limit.
Next week we’re chatting to another very interesting baker - stay tuned!
Camella
