Paul and Anna, owners of Freedom Bakery & Confections

Introducing Anna and Paul Liu of Freedom Bakery

 

 

My name is Anna Liu, and I am originally from Southern California. I moved up to the Bay Area for a job and was introduced to my husband, Paul, through my sister’s old college friend. Till this day, we still joke my sister asked her friend to look after her little sister and instead, she introduces her to a husband! After Paul and I decided to get married and start a family, I decided to leave my corporate job managing the marketing department of a high-end Silicon Valley retail shopping center.

I relocated to the Monterey Bay area, where my husband was operating his family business, Freedom Bakery. Paul grew up in the bakery business. He has been baking and decorating since age 14. Paul pursued his college education at Santa Clara University, earned his CPA, worked in the financial industry, and all at the same time, always attending to the bakery business. Being an entrepreneur and baker at heart, he decided to return to the family business fulltime in 1997.

About Freedom Bakery & Confections

Freedom Bakery & Confections (FB&C) is a 2nd generation family owned business. We have been in operation for over 30 years. In 1997, we were one of the first bakeries in the country to adopt and take advantage of new computer decoration technologies to create images beyond just cakes. To further enhance our product offerings and better serve our customers, we launched Photo Cookie Greetings®, a delicious shortbread cookie decorated using a direct imprint process.

We print full color images directly on the cookie using no rice paper! Cookie Greetings® was well received by both our retail and corporate customers. We soon added Foto Cocoa™, Belgian Chocolate with full color image. In 2006, we introduced our own internally developed food printing technology. Our imprinting equipment offers better resolution and color control/consistency than commercial available machinery. By 2007, we added more chocolate items to our selection and thus added “Confections” to our name.

Today, Freedom Bakery & Confections is a full service bakery creating delicious and unique cakes and Photo Cookie and Chocolate favors from birthdays and weddings to the next corporate promotion.

How the business got started

In 1975, Pastry Chef Tony Liu and his family started a little retail bakery. In an effort to distinguish themselves from competition, they focused on cake drawings instead of traditional figurines or toy decorations. The bakery became well known for using fresh ingredients, creating unique designs, and making delicious cakes. Now in its second generation, son Paul Liu leads a team of skilled bakers and decorators and sales force to continue making and selling popular treats with his father’s recipes; and also creating exciting new products. Tony is now retired but still helps and visits the bakery often.

About Your Donation

The winning bride and groom can submit any photo or wedding monogram/design and we’ll print it on our Rectangle Photo Cookie Greetings®, in any of our three flavors: original butter shortbread with lemon sugar icing, raspberry shortbread or latte macchiato shortbread with vanilla icing.  HINT- Check out www.champagnepromises.com to see what you could put onto your cookies.  She is designing the winner’s wedding stationery- a perfect image to go on these fun and yummy treats!

What is unique about your business?

Our bakery is old fashioned baking meets modern technology. We use internally built equipment to imprint full color images on delicious treats.

Why are you participating in this contest?

We think our Photo Cookies will really add a lot of uniqueness to the winning couple’s wedding. Our Photo Cookies are made with the best and freshest ingredients and printed with a direct imprint process. That means we DON’T use rice paper so there is no starchy texture or taste. Just a clean and delicious shortbread cookie. And best of all, a custom image unique to the couple.

www.FBandC.com
1459 Freedom Blvd. #3, Watsonville, CA 95076