Conversations with Yasmaneka Bush

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yasmaneka Bush

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Before graduating Johnson & Wales University, I wasn’t really sure of what direction I would go in. Would I job straight in to the workforce, work in someone else’s kitchen? Would I work on a cruise ship? Or would I accept an offer from an investor who believe me, more than i believed in myself, at the time? One thing I was sure of is I did not want me own establish yet, at the age of 18, I understood the I was not mature to own my spot, and to be quite honest the thought of having my business right out of college was scary for me. so why most would have jumped at the opportunity, I allow this one to slide right on by. So I was down to two options: cruise ship or work in someone else’s kitchen. I had decided to work on a cruise ship, I thought the money would be great and I would get to travel by water. By this time all of my chefs loved me and valued me a person and my opinion and vise versa. Side note: a few chefs even took me with them to help judge competitions. So since my chefs and I had had built such great relationships, and they had already experienced the industry on a professional level; so I ask one chef in particular, “How do you think I would do working a cruise ship?” Their reply was, “ Yaz, your personality is too big to work in that environment, a you would be miserable.” My heart stop, I was not expecting that, but I definitely took their words to heart, so I trashed that application and there was only one option left. So after graduation, I found myself working in a grocery store. I worked for them for 4 year and I learned a lot, but by this time I was ready to venture out on my own, so I started baking for home. Soon after COVID hit and that threw everything in shambles, and I found my self working in a different kitchen for someone else. Devastation was an under statement. While they years pasted by, I used that time to formulate recipes that were unique, tasted great and created by me. Creating recipes tailored to, “Timeless,” was the first step to making it what it has become; not just desserts and wedding cake, but ice creams and sorbets are the recent expansion.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road for me has been everything, but smooth. When first baking from home, I was in Raleigh,NC, and I found myself in a toxic relationship. Most of my customers were my boyfriend , at the time, friends. I was making his friend’s custom cakes for $20-$30, they were getting a dozen gourmet cupcakes for $12. I wasn’t even breaking even, I was definitely in the red all around. The worst part about it all was he wanted half of my business, and even though, “Timeless,” was not what it was going to be, that was a risk I could not take. So, instead of splitting MY creation with someone that I knew could and would be malicious, I let the name go, stopped baking, and no one heard about, “ Timeless,” or seen any products that were being created for years.

Years later I found myself in Charlotte, NC, with a supportive husband, and yes I do still work in someone else’s kitchen; but I also am allotted space to no only manage and run, “Timeless,” but I also have, “Sweet Sundaze,” which is the ice cream to, “ Timeless.’ These two businesses, are a twist to the classic, ice cream and cake, making mouths water where ever that are served.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Being able to set myself apart from others has never been a challenge, I have always had a very unique way to approach certain outlooks, or how I develop recipes throughout the years. I love challenges and I found myself being drawn to weddings, they could be super simple or very complex depending on the bride, theme and amount of people attending. So I truly started off doing weddings. I must say they people loved the cake and the flavors, but to my standard the appearance didn’t hit it out the park for me, and as a perfectionist I knew that was were my attention needed to be. So I owned in on my decorating skills and in no time, I had decorating down to a “T.” So as far as American desserts, I specialized in wedding cakes, and small desserts such as cupcakes, cookies of all types, cinnamon rolls and ice cream.
My talents stretch beyond American desserts. Now on another scale, the French pastry scale, I specialize in different varieties of croissants, macarons and tarts. These pastries required certain skills and the precision needed to execute, caught my attention posing a new challenge that I was willing to accept. Through accepting that challenge macarons have become one of my top selling product, with some ordinary to extraordinary flavors and designs. I am proud that I can offer many products without compromising quality, that statement alone speaks volumes to me. I am also proud to say that for smaller desserts, such as macarons, cookies and bars, I do created and build my own boxes, that are one of a kind. Like I said I am unique in all ways.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Evolution is inevitable! The food industry, especially the pastry portion is always finding new and improved ways to present products. So in the next 5-10 yours, who knows what to next croissant will look like or what flavor components will be in the next tarts? One thing I am sure of is that I will not stop creating new cookie recipes, with wow factors: I will not stop making classic desserts into cupcakes: and, “Timeless,” will be anything but ordinary. I have fallen in love with the concept of a ghost kitchen. The idea of having quality desserts beyond a bakery or cafe walls, touching more than just stomachs gives me goosebumps. so in the next 5-10 years, not only will, “Timeless’,” recipe book continue to grow, but I look forward to building a ghost kitchen, touching lives and changing prospective, one pastry at a time.

Pricing:

• A Dozen Gourmet Cupcake: $28
• Timeless Chocolate Chip Cookies (12) : $30
• Cinnamon Rolls (12): $60
• A Pint of Ice cream: $18
• Decorated Cookies (12): $6o (base)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Timeless_Desserts
• Facebook: Timeless Desserts