I don’t know about you, but I was born with a major sweet tooth! Give me anything sweet and I’m a happy girl. And when you add a little Jack Daniels or Jameson in the mix, oh how I am a really happy girl! 😉
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Taryn Mumpower and Robyn Holt, the creative and lovely “baketenders” behind Pick Your Poison Bake Shop. During a fun night of drinking in Downtown Las Vegas, Taryn and Robyn began talking about starting their own business. “Cupcakes came up. We started coming up with ideas instantly and the next weekend we were already test baking.”
A weekend of test baking that led Pick Your Poison to becoming a national sensation. These cupcake goddesses have made time to represent Las Vegans and lady entrepreneurs everywhere by appearing on Cupcake Wars and Chopped! All while solely running their business (emails, events, baking, delivery, and clean-up) and granting fans like myself hilarious interviews.
If you’re in the Las Vegas area come by Vegas StrEATS – July 14th – where you can meet the gals and taste their yummy liquor infused cupcakes. I’ll be there to happily exclaim – “I told ya so!”
1. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions! I have to admit I was super excited when you agreed to do so! I’m absolutely in love with Pick Your Poison, how did it come about?
A: We were actually out drinking downtown (Fremont st) and getting a good buzz! We started talking about wanting to own our own business and cupcakes came up. We started coming up with ideas instantly and the next weekend we were already test baking.
2. It’s awesome to see two friends come together and find succession doing something they love. Could you describe the roles that you play in the company?
A: Actually we became good friends after we started the business, Robyn actually didn’t care for me!! Haha but changed her mind very quickly! Myself and Robyn both do everything! I focus a lot on the recipes and new baking concepts as Robyn gets most of our events/marketing set ups. We do everything from emails, baking, delivering and clean up!!
3. How do you come up with your ideas? What inspires you as a chef, food, and uh whiskey lover? 😉
A: Our ideas come instantly! We could be sitting there talking about water and a recipe idea will pop into our heads! We get inspiration from anything and everything! I would love to make a bloody Mary cupcake… With whiskey of course!!
4. If you could get cupcake wasted with a celebrity chef, who would it be and why?
A: Hands down….Anthony Bordain! He is my absolute favorite Chef and is my inspiration to be who I am. He is so crass and speaks his mind. We would definitely have a blast drinking and getting cupcake wasted with him!
5. If your favorite cupcake could talk, what would it say?
A: Haha!! The Drunken pineapple would say “Taryn and Robyn are the best baketenders ever! They put the drunk in drunken to make me the best pineapple cupcake ever!”
6. What is on your baking playlist?
A: honestly, it varies from day to day! It could be anything from a flogging Molly kind of day to journey! It changes all the time. I even put country into the mix! Yeehaw!!
7. I love how involved you gals are in our community – always look forward to seeing you at Vegas StrEATS. What does the future hold for PYP?
A: We do a lot of charity events and festivals around Vegas. We want Vegas to actually form a community to support new businesses and events around town. Our main goal it to open our own shop. We have now successfully created a “buzz” around town. Next step, open up shop.
8. Do you have any humbling or humorous anecdotes from your baking career so far?
A: we have a lot of younger (and older) fans from seeing us on Cupcake Wars and Chopped. When they tell us we inspire them, it makes us feel amazing. To inspire fans is the greatest feeling ever.
9. What does being a Raw Femme mean to you?
A: Myself and Robyn are completely 100% ourselves. I think this makes us a Raw Femme because we’re not afraid of what people think about us. What you see, is what you get!
I can’t thank Taryn and Robyn enough and wish them much more success!
Happy Baking! Love them!