Anson native’s culinary dreams come true

WADESBORO — Coming from three generations of culinary tradition, David Marsh will open his first bakery in Wadesboro on Oct. 3, pulling together an all-star family team.

Growing up surrounded by cooking and baking, Marsh, new owner of Velvet Creations, naturally fell into his role. He didn’t ask to become a culinary expert, it just happened after spending his childhood years in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother.

Marsh recruited his family members to create his team at Velvet Creations. He is working alongside his mother, cousin and aunt at the bakery.

Even with his talent, he didn’t go into the custom cakes business right away. He first worked in business administration, then in Charlotte with companies helping the autistic community. It wasn’t until one of his client’s he worked with passed away that Marsh realized he needed to step away and follow his passion for baking.

He moved on to work for Publix, then Food Lion and Sam’s Club, all which helped him learn the business. Marsh was selling baked goods from his home until that business expanded the limits of his own kitchen. He knew he needed more space, especially with his two little kids running around at home.

The jack-of-all trades decided to bring what he does best to his home county, where his family, friends and support system reside.

After signing his lease in August, Marsh and his team renovated the previous bakery on Greene Street. Marsh painted walls, cleaned the floors, and everything in between with no help of contractors, just Marsh, him mom and aunt.

Velvet Creations will be more than cakes. Expect Hersey’s ice cream, 28 different cupcakes, bunt cakes, lemon squares, morning pastries, popcorn and even a section for those “watching their figure.”

Marsh pointed out a special section of the display cases which will house less sugar sweets. Plus, keto-friendly desserts and allergy restrictions.

Marsh immediately described his personal favorite as the coconut pineapple cake, a two-layer cake with coconut cream cheese icing, pineapple filling and of course coconut covering the outside. Other customer favorites include his red velvet and vanilla.

They will offer wedding cakes, birthday cakes or just your every day cake and pick up cards and flowers. If interested in ordering a custom cake, fill out a form in the store and expect a 24 to 48 hour turn around to receive your cake, according to Marsh.

Marsh will be focusing on the custom cakes, while his mother will be running everything else. He’s overflowing with ideas, as he is beyond ready to see his dream come to life.

He plans on Saturdays being a kid’s day, where a child can come in and custom decorate his or her own cupcake. Marsh even wants to bring in Bingo nights to the area, while still following COVID-19 guidelines. In the future, you might be able to rent out the space to host birthday parties.

“I’ll be doing raffle tickets at the grand opening,” Marsh said. “Our four prizes are a whole cake, as the first price, the second price is a basket, the third price is a bike for a little child, and the fourth prize is a 32 inch flat-screen TV. We are doing that to give back to the community for basically supporting and being here at our special event.”

Grand opening will last from Saturday Oct. 3 to the following Saturday, in case you cannot come the first day. The bakery will be closed on Sunday and Mondays. Velvet Creations is opening Tuesday through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Already thinking ahead to the next business, Marsh plans to open a “Plates and Cakes” restaurant at the end of next year. The bar and grille type atmosphere will include hamburgers, hot dogs, loaded fries, salads, as well as the custom cakes you will see originally at Velvet Creations.

“Basically Plates and Cakes is just the small corporation and the big manufacturer is in Uptown Wadesboro,” Marsh said. “That’s why I named it Plates and Cakes so you can get a nice dinner or lunch… and you can also get a cake there.”

In terms of another bakery, Marsh plans on opening a second one in South Carolina, all depending on the success of the Wadesboro location. But for now, Marsh is gearing up for opening day and ready to open the doors.

“We have Christmas coming, Thanksgiving coming, it’s going to be cake, cake, cake, cake, cake,” Marsh sang. “I’m just overjoyed with the smiles and everyday people come by, they’re waving, they’re excited about coming.”