In the Kitchen with Katie Robinson of Botanical Bakeshop

KATIE ROBINSON HAD concerns about opening a vegan bakery in Milan, a small rural community closer to Toledo than it is to Detroit and probably best known to outsiders for nearby Milan Dragway.

She doesn’t anymore.

“Honestly, I didn’t think this was going to work,” says Robinson, admitting that she sold herself—and Milan—short. “Vegans will travel.”

Straddling the border of Monroe and Washtenaw Counties, Milan is, after all, in the heart of Michigan agriculture and only a stone’s throw from Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, both hotbeds for those who’ve adopted plant-based lifestyles.

“I’m surrounded by farms. Between Saline and Milan, it’s amazing,” she says, adding that during the summertime she works more with seasonal, local fruits and vegetables. In the winter and early spring it’s chocolate and nuts.

Robinson opened her custom wholesale Botanical Bakeshop in 2021. In addition to supplying several Southeastern Michigan coffeehouses each week, Robinson creates a monthly box of pastry goodies—a different selection each time—usually selling out four dozen in a matter of hours, thanks to social media.

“It surprises me every time, even though I know I’m a good baker,” says Robinson with a laugh. “I didn’t think I could make it last, but it just keeps growing.”

Robinson studied art and interior design in college before giving in to her love of baking and taking to a job at Grand Traverse Pie Co. and later The Cupcake Station, both in Ann Arbor. When she heard Zingerman’s Bakehouse was looking for a cake decorator, Robinson jumped at the chance. She got the job.

“One of the big things about Zingerman’s is they really respect food. Working there was amazing,” says Robinson, calling it one of the best things that ever happened to her. Not only was she able to be more creative, but it also enabled her to take the leap from being a lacto-ovo vegetarian to a vegan, a move she wanted to do since seeing COWSPIRACY, The Sustainability Secret but it was hard to do when she was doing more baking than decorating.

After “seven summers”—she counts her time there in wedding seasons— Robinson left the high-production atmosphere for Ann Arbor custom bakery Sweet Heather Anne, which allowed her art background to come even more into play. Midway through navigating the pandemic there, Robinson recognized a now-or-never moment to make her dreams come true.

“I think there is a hole in the market for specialty baked goods. I’ve had these two parts of my career come together in a magical way,” she says, adding that when it comes to a lot of vegan brands, ethics and morals are most important. But branding and packaging gets people in the door, says Robinson, who intentionally omitted vegan and plant-based from her business name and logo. She wants people to know her goods are 100% vegan, but not at the cost of scaring away those who might not try it. And more people are likely to try something because it looks good.

“It’s not vegan, it’s food,” says Robinson, who takes pride in winning over non-vegans. “That’s where my cake skills come through—people eat with their eyes. I’m creative, but I’m meticulous.”

Though she tries to avoid using processed vegan substitutes, Robinson credits vegan ingredient options available today, especially the improved taste of dairy alternatives—”Vegan butter has come so far.” But it isn’t inexpensive. Alternatives also require repeated trial and error because they react differently than traditional fat.

“Those are just nuances in vegan baking you have to think about,” she says, along with good old-fashioned baking. “I like to honor history. Baking at its core is flour and water. I do appreciate that part of it: the tradition.”

“You have to be passionate. You have to experiment to know what you’re working with,” says Robinson, adding that she’s become resilient. When something doesn’t work, you just have to do it again. “People get really controlling, get defeated. It’s just cake.”

In the end, she says, it’s rewarding, just being able to provide delicious pastries and desserts to those who frequently miss out.

“I’ve been the person who can’t have cake,” she says. “I think as a vegan I’m very cognizant because I know what it’s like to go to the party and not have something to eat.”

Robinson gets asked about expanding her operation and maybe even opening up as a retail business. She considers it sometimes, until she recognizes how well everything is going now, and that scaling up could quickly turn that all around, especially at such a fluctuating time. After all, she’s in her sweet spot already.

“I’m doing what I want to do. This is it. I have a quirky little building and I’m giving people food that brings them joy.”

Botanical Bakeshop, custom and wholesale bakery, with monthly box pickups and occasional pop-ups: 508 County St., Milan; botanicalbakeshop.com. Find Botanical Bakeshop daily baked goods at Hyperion Coffee Co. in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, hyperioncoffee.com; and at Avalon Ann Arbor, avalonbreads.net.