LIFE

Ugly Pie baking up rustic, made-from-scratch confections

Hannah Carroll
hcarroll2@dmg.gannett.com
From left, the Ugly Pie co-owners, Heather Hall, of Salisbury, Bridget Perry, of Princess Anne and Shaina Bounds, of Salisbury pose for a photo at the Black Diamond Lodge in Fruitland on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.

A semi-secret operation is happening at the Black Diamond Lodge in Fruitland.

Three women — Bridget Perry, Heather Hall and Shaina Bounds — gather there nearly every night to sling flour, measuring cups and sugar. They are the masterminds behind The Ugly Pie, a homemade pie business taking Salisbury by storm.

"We're having a lot of fun," Hall said.

What began as a "pipe dream" discussed over a shared bottle of wine quickly became real in 2014.

The longtime friends turned business partners now have quite a following, including Main Roots Coffee, Peninsula Regional Medical Center and Salisbury Mayor Jake Day, who described their confectionery creations as "heavenly."

"I've eaten the pies with coffee for breakfast. I could make an excuse about that being because they offer them at Main Roots... but to be honest, I'd find them wherever they are," he said.

The women use the Black Diamond Lodge's commercial kitchen several nights a week to create their pies from scratch. In addition to their pie business, they each have full time jobs and families, so the baking must take place after hours.

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A view of four teacup pies from the Ugly Pie.

"It's a balancing act, that's for sure," said Hall. "And it's not easy. But we're each passionate about this project and we have strong support systems back at home. That's what really makes it all worth it, and quite frankly, what makes it all possible."

The lack of a brick and mortar home of their own has not yet proven to be a problem.

So far, business has been steady thanks to Facebook and positive word of mouth. During the holiday season, The Ugly Pie tripled production compared to the previous year, handcrafting more than 300 pies for Thanksgiving and nearly 250 for Christmas.

As the women recover from one busy season and prepare for the next, Perry said they have been blown away by the community's acceptance and support.

Although other bakeries in Salisbury offer pies on the menu, The Ugly Pie is the only business dedicated to such delights.

"That realization was really attractive to us," said Perry. "And we ran with it."

The Ugly Pie's ever-rotating menu offers more than 20 pie flavors at a time, ranging from traditional and simple to decadent and over the top. Popular flavors include blueberry crumb, chocolate custard, maple pecan, and fluffernutter made with real banana and toasted marshmallow.

The women behind the pie operation have been known to go above and beyond for their customers as well, even filling special orders on the fly.

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Heather Hall, left, fills a pie crust with chocolate custard at the Black Diamond Lodge in Fruitland on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.

"A man called us who wanted a genuine, homemade, just-like-momma-made it rhubarb pie for the holidays," said Bounds. "It wasn't on our menu but we were happy to make it for him, and he loved it."

Much like their pie crust and fillings, all the recipes are homemade.

There's where the name comes in.

"Sometimes the filling bubbles over or the crust looks a little lopsided," said Hall. "But that's when you know a pie is made with real love and ingredients. It's supposed to look a little ugly."

The Ugly Pie also offers vegan and gluten-free options, and hopes to add savory items, like pot pies and quiches, to the menu soon.

The pies come in several sizes, including bite-sized, mini and 9-inch deep dish. The smaller sizes have been a hit at weddings, large parties and more intimate gatherings like baby showers and family reunions, Hall said.

Perry's 7-year-old daughter, who has several food allergies, is the growing company's official taste-tester.

"She enjoys helping us as much as possible and trying all of the vegan recipes," she said. "If it meets her seal of approval, it gets added to the menu."

Since the women do not yet have a permanent address, they offer free delivery to Salisbury residents and are extremely flexible when it comes to arranging order pickups.

"Our goal is to open a full-service pie eatery in the next few years," said Bounds. "We envision a laid-back, funky place where people can relax with a cup of coffee and a slice of quiche or apple pie."

For more information on The Ugly Pie or to place an order, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheUglyPieSBY or call 747-666-7432.

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