Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Lock.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In a recession panic, while having just launched my own Interior Design business, I found myself in my kitchen making pies (a form of therapy and learned as a child from my Iowa State Fair grand-prize blue ribbon pie-making mother) wondering what we were all going to do. Later that afternoon, while picking up my girls from school, I heard myself telling every mother on the playground that I was now selling pies and that we’d all need pie to survive! I immediately had orders and a pie business I’d never planned. Starting in my own kitchen and baking at all hours of the day/night, I decided to see where this would go and got serious — applying for applications, insurance, finding a shared commercial kitchen and learning on my feet.
Rustic Tart was officially founded in 2009 as a subscription-based pie company using a CSA model… creating 2 tarts per month, over the summer growing season, for subscribers, sourcing local sustainable fruit from farmers at Green City Market. In addition, Rustic Tart participated in pop-ups, markets (Dose, Tasting Table…) and was served daily at all Bow Truss Coffee locations. Over the years, I became aware of how many people loved but didn’t make their own pies — I became the confessional and confidant for the secret reasons why… “I never learned from my grandmother”, “I make everything but the dough”, “I don’t have time to make the dough”, “I could make dough like yours I’d make pie all the time”. This troubled and saddened me and I wondered if everyone had access to a handcrafted, all-butter disk of frozen dough maybe I could get people back into their kitchens and bake pies(?). I started to take a handful of disks of dough to pop-ups and markets in a little cooler and offered them for sale. One thing led to another and as I suspected there was a need and nothing like it in the marketplace. It was then, that I had the epiphany that the business may not be the pies (while wildly successful), but rather the dough! I officially introduced Ready-to-Roll Dough™for sweet pies, tarts and pastries to the marketplace in 2013 garnering immediate attention from Tasting Table Chicago and wholesale interest from Standard Market (Naperville and Westmont, IL) and Dean & DeLuca (NYC).
Today, Rustic Tart is solely a dough making company — I closed down the subscription offering and all wholesale accounts in 2016 to focus all attention and growth on Ready-to-Roll Dough. In addition, I added a second dough to the line, Ready-to-Roll Dough for savory pies, tarts and pastries. Since 2013 I’ve gone from one wholesale account (Standard Market) to 17. Ready-to-Roll Dough was picked up and approved for the entire Mid-West region of Whole Foods in 2017. In addition, I offer pie classes throughout the year and plenty of very helpful learning tools on the Rustic Tart/Ready-to-Roll Dough website: How-to videos (rolling, crimping, blind baking, filling), recipes, with much more in the works. Ready-to-Roll Dough is handcrafted with all-purpose flour, European-style butter, salt, sugar (sweet dough only) and water. There are no additives, preservatives to stabilizers to keep this on the shelf for years. Nor, is it factory made or stamped. It’s just what you would make if you had the time, knew how, had the confidence or whatever else it may be that holds you back.
My goal is to get people back into their kitchen making pies for those they adore and love. Pie ensures you slow down and be thoughtful (from making to eating). It brings people together and creates community. It recalls a memory and a story from the ones you share it with. Pie is love! I’m just here to get people over the hurdle of making the dough and to make great pies happen.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been relatively smooth. I think my greatest strength has been to remain open and identify when and where I needed to make changes while having the guts to give it a shot. But it’s been very slow growing business as I’ve had to learn on my feet and still do daily. I often say if you had told me 10 years ago I’d be doing this, I’d laugh at you. Learning the food/wholesale/grocery business has been like learning Mandarin daily without text book or teacher.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rustic Tart – what should we know?
I’m most proud that my daughters (Ella, 14 and Lily, 12) have seen this unfold from day one. They have been by my side helping, working, watching and learning. If nothing more comes from this company than them seeing if you work hard, believe in yourself and what you’re doing, anything is possible.
I’m also quite proud that it’s an all-women company.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My entire family deserves SO much credit. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. My husband who’s been a champion of the business side of things. My mother for teaching me the craft and helping me launch while helping to write/develop recipes. My daughters. my sisters who’ve assisted with artwork for the packaging (Katherine Lock) and editing of text/instructions/recipes (Elizabeth Lock). My father for his encouragement. Not to mention the farmers (Mick Klug and Abby Schilling), subscribers, Heather Sperling (Tasting Table, Botanica Restaurant), Bow Truss Coffee Roaters, Chicago.
Pricing:
- Ready-to-Roll Dough for SWEET Pies, Tarts & Pastries retails for $11.99
- Ready-to-Roll Dough for SAVORY Pies, Tarts & Pastries retails for $11/99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rustictart.net
- Phone: 773-383-3738
- Email: baker@rustictart.net
- Instagram: @rustictart
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/rustictart/
- Twitter: @RusticTart
Image Credit:
Mikey Litchfield, Kaitlyn McQuaid, Rustic Tart
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