By Megan Whitworth
Wood County Monitor
It all began with a two-tiered mermaid-themed cake.
That’s the cake local woman Jessica Bays baked for her daughter’s birthday, unknowingly launching the baking business she owns today.
“The cake was blue and purple ombré with seashells and everything mermaid,” Bays said. “It definitely wasn’t perfect, but my daughter loved it, and that’s what mattered most. I posted a picture of it on Facebook, and I was surprised by how many people told me I should start selling cakes. By the next month, I was making cakes for the cost of ingredients, and not long after that, Bays & Battered was started.”
Today, the Quitman business specializes in custom cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes and cookies, all created by Bays. However, owning a bakery business was never part of her original plan. Before becoming a baker, she served 11 years in the Army and medically retired from service in 2022 while living in Illinois with her husband.
“In January 2022, I received a phone call that shook me to my core. My former section leader and good friend had taken his own life. Although it had been some time since we had spoken, his death affected me deeply,” Bays said. “A few months later, I medically retired from the Army. For the first time in 11 years, I had the opportunity to think about what I wanted the next chapter of my life to look like, and I knew I wanted to do something meaningful by helping veterans. In August, we moved to Texas and rented a home in Van Alstyne while we searched for our forever home. On our very first day there, we met our neighbor, who happened to work for a university helping veterans use their education benefits. I took that as the encouragement I needed to take the leap, and within two weeks I was enrolled in school.”
After discovering Quitman “by chance” while searching Zillow for a home, the couple relocated to Quitman. Three years later, “we couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home,” Bays said.
“Our children love their schools, we’ve made lifelong friends, and this community has welcomed us with open arms,” she added.
A wife, mom of three, veteran, student and baker, Bays has a lot on her plate, but serving in the military has helped shape the way she runs her business.
“My military service has had a huge impact on how I run my business,” she said. “I hold myself to a very high standard, and if I make something that I don’t believe is my best work, I start over. The Army taught me that integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching, and I try to carry that into every part of Bays & Battered. I take a lot of pride in what I do, and I want every customer to know they’re getting my very best every time.”
What started as a hobby quickly became something bigger as more people chose to support her small business. One of those businesses was Rockin’ S&S Grill in downtown Quitman.
“Working with Rockin’ S&S Grill this year has also given me confidence that I made the right decision,” she said. “In the beginning, I would stop by almost every weekend and buy one of my own desserts just to make sure the quality was exactly what I wanted it to be. Over time, I became confident that customers were receiving a product I could truly be proud of.”
Bays & Battered desserts are available at Rockin’ S&S Grill in downtown Quitman and Ramsey Dairy in Emory. Information about custom orders is available on the Bays & Battered Facebook page.
Seeing her logo on the dessert cooler at Rockin’ S&S Grill was “the most rewarding moment so far,” Bays said of owning her bakery.
“It was one of those moments where everything felt real. Just a short time before, I was baking as a hobby in my kitchen, and suddenly my desserts were being sold in a local restaurant,” she added. “…I’m incredibly grateful for every order, every recommendation, and every person who has trusted me to be part of their special moments.”
Her most popular menu item is her brown butter chocolate chip cookies. For first-time customers, however, Bays said her recommendation depends on the occasion.
“If you’re celebrating something special, you can’t go wrong with my Cookies & Cream Cake with a cookies-and-cream whipped filling,” she said. “If you’re a cheesecake lover, I’d recommend the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake.”
One dessert she’s especially excited to make is a German chocolate cheesecake.
“It’s a flavor people have requested several times after I asked my Facebook followers what they’d like to see next,” Bays said. “I just haven’t had the opportunity to make one until now, so I’m excited to finally give it a try.”
And the cake she’s most proud of is the birthday cake she baked for her son’s birthday.
“The theme was ‘My First Rodeo,’ and it was my very first three-tiered cake,” Bays said. “The bottom tier looked like a hay bale, the middle tier was cow print, and the top tier was designed to look like a red bandana. I also made him a matching smash cake. It challenged me as a baker, but seeing everything come together for such a special milestone made it even more meaningful.”
As for the future, Bays said she hopes to one day open a bakery in Quitman.
“I hope to one day own a bakery here in town where I can offer the community a variety of homemade desserts while continuing to create custom cakes for life’s special moments,” she said.
While baking and social work may seem like two very different paths, Bays sees a connection. As she continues working toward her social work degree, she hopes both will allow her to support others.
Ultimately, Bays said it all goes back to her family and the support they’ve given her while she pursues her dreams.
“Baking lets me be part of people’s celebrations, while social work will allow me to support people when life isn’t going as planned,” she said. “Those are obviously very different moments, but both involve caring about people and hopefully making a positive difference in their lives.”