Help Auset Launch Bessie Carter Co.

Hi, my name is Auset Shridevi and I am raising funds to open a bakery cafe in Oakland! I make gluten-free and vegan baked goods, pastries and cakes, as well as non-allergen baked goods. I have been in the food service industry for over 17 years and I currently do wholesale orders to cafes and online orders throughout the Bay Area.

This is a big project and the purpose of raising these funds is to receive support from the community for buildout, equipment and startup costs. In addition to this, I am also in the process of securing an SBA loan and applying for grants. I named the bakery after my great grandmother, Bessie Carter. I am grateful I have the opportunity to honor her legacy.

Like I said, I have been in the food service industry for over 17 years. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2011, and in 2012 I graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Before deciding I wanted to be a chef, I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to help people. I grew up with the awareness that food is medicine and knew that you could heal the body through food and love. The gluten free and vegan trends are often great to support maintaining a ‘healthier’ diet, although it doesn’t mean it’s actually healthy and supportive to the body. My mission is to support people who seek to use food as medicine, to support their health. Establishing Bessie Carter Co. into a bakery cafe, will accomplish this mission.

I am calling out to my Bay Area community and anyone else who believes in this vision! If you have ever enjoyed the yummy treats I make at Hidden Cafe, or come by the cafe to grab a slice of carrot cake or a sticky bun, please consider helping me to actualize this vision! If you haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy the baked goods I make, come by the cafe and support the vision from Hidden Cafe!