Floral Mountains: Loving Local

Upon walking into Eleanor’s home there is a definite sense of welcome and warmth. Her house that’s shared with two other girls is full of greens that reflect the sun’s bright rays. The wind is blowing through the open windows and doors as Eleanor ushers me into the kitchen where she is finishing the final preparations of composing the icing for the most delicious-looking carrot cake.

Eleanor is a nineteen-year-old Baker at local, Tea Bar & Bites in Springfield, Missouri. The café is stationed on one of the most charming streets in our hometown. The street is decorated with early twentieth-century homes and old-time charisma, with a neighborhood grocery store filled with local produce and organic goods. Not far from Tea Bar & Bites, houses a tiny patisserie with the most delectable treats. All of these things create a certain irreplaceable experience to be had on Pickwick Street. You can find Eleanor waiting on diners outside in the tabled courtyard at Tea Bar & Bites. Her smile radiates a love for what she does; you can tell Eleanor feels at home.

Eleanor has been working and baking in Tea Bar & Bite’s kitchen for the past four years. When Eleanor was fifteen she brought her well-known sugar cookies into the bakery and café to meet the owner and present and prove her worth as a potential staff member at the local eatery. Of course, she was hired on, with only little experience, but a fire burning in her heart to learn and grow. She worked under another baker at the café for some time, while learning much from her grandmother, and experimenting on her friends, she developed quickly. Sugar cookies upon sugar cookies were baked and now Eleanor finds herself inventing creative and original treats and filling wedding and party orders with breeze.

I find myself drooling over Eleanor’s impeccable talent, quite literally! I’ve enjoyed following her work on Instagram and visiting Tea Bar & Bites to sample her tasty treats as often as I can. I must say this Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting and caramel drizzle was by far the best Carrot Cake I’ve experienced, and even quite possibly the best cake I’ve ever tasted. If you’re local or ever in the humble town of Springfield, Missouri drop by Tea Bar & Bites Bakery & Café to familiarize your taste buds with Eleanor’s handiwork. You won’t be disappointed, this girl’s worth following.