If you’ve ever had a chance to peruse SUNY Brockport’s parents page on Facebook, you’ve likely seen users praising Lori’s Delectable Edibles, a local baking business. Lori McClurg, the woman behind the custom-made baked treats, has become a sensation within the Brockport parents community.
The Facebook group is filled with pictures of Brockport students holding boxes of goodies and parents thanking Lori for making their child’s day special while they’re away at college. But though it may feel as if her sweets have been a local staple forever, Lori wasn’t a baker for most of her adult life.
“I am a recovering alcoholic of 18 years, and I began baking to fill the void,” she explained.
Soon enough, Lori took her therapeutic hobby to the public for others to enjoy. She started small, setting up stands at cheerleading competitions in the area and quickly earning herself the nickname “cake bite lady” after her specialty dessert.
From there, Lori’s Delectable Edibles expanded beyond cheerleaders and began its development into the business it is today.
“I had a very dear friend, and she was getting married. She asked me to do the wedding. That’s when it really took off.”
These days, Lori bakes for weddings, graduations, birthdays, baby showers, and of course cheer competitions. But some of her most consistent business now comes from parents of Brockport students, delivering around 40 orders to campus every month.
“I don’t advertise, it’s all word of mouth,” Lori said. “The parents have been amazing. I don’t need to advertise.”
Lori is now the go-to woman for Brockport parents wanting to send something special to their kids in Brockport, whether it’s a treat to enjoy while studying, cupcakes on their birthdays, or a congratulatory gift during graduation.
“I won’t deliver to any other school, I’ll only deliver to Brockport. It makes me feel good to know the parents trust me enough to do this for their kids. It warms my heart.”
Lori McClurg
Lori’s business has not been immune to the inflation of recent years, either, but even as the costs of ingredients go up, she refuses to charge more. She values the community she bakes for and the quality of her product more than the income it brings in.
“I should raise my prices, but I won’t. I can’t,” she said. “Most of my orders are repeat customers. I can’t do that to them.”
Despite her success, Lori has no intention of going full time with her business. Though her friends encourage her to open a store and quit her day job, Lori enjoys keeping the operation small.
“I bake because I want to bake. I don’t bake for the money,” she said. “It sounds corny but my stuff tastes better because it’s made with love. The day I stop loving it is the day I stop.”