Just a few days shy of his 13th birthday, Genoa Township resident Noah Shand is proud to unveil his venture to “bake for good” with his home baking business, Splashy Sweets by Noah Shand.
Through his business, Shand, who has been baking and decorating sweets since he was a toddler, will offer an array of custom cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, brownies, and other treats, with a portion of each purchase going to charity.
Each month a new charity will be selected, with the announcement made via his business Facebook page.
“One of the best parts about baking is seeing how much joy comes from sharing treats with others,” said Shand. “I wanted to combine my love for baking with helping others, and this business is the perfect way to do that.”
Before launching his business, Shand successfully completed the Cottage Food Law training offered through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which allows small scale processors to sell directly to consumers. The training covers safe food production, packaging and labeling, storing, and transportation. After asking on his facebook page, he found packaging design services that were willing to partner with him and help him, in both the design as well as the following of the instructions and laws that were required.
When he isn’t in the kitchen, Shand can usually be found at the swimming pool. A member of the Brighton Aquatics Swim Team and the Oak Pointe Country Club summer team, he has qualified for and competed in the state championship for the past four years, and is one of the top swimmers in the state for his age group. He is going into the 8th grade at St. Patrick School in Brighton, where he is a straight-A student. He lives in Genoa Township with his mom, dad, brother, sister, two cats, and one goldfish. He also enjoys playing the piano and the saxophone, and runs on the school cross country team.
“There’s so much to worry about in the world today, but dessert shouldn’t be one of them. Whatever the occasion, I would be honored to bake up a smile for you,” he said.
Custom cakes start at $25, with the price depending on the level of difficulty and ingredients. Inquiries can be placed through his Facebook page, or by emailing swimnoah@yahoo.com.
Ten percent of all purchases in July will go to the Michigan Parkinson’s Foundation, in honor of Noah’s grandfather, who is battling the disease. In the future, Shand hopes to compete on a kids’ baking show.
