If you're a cake decorator, baker, sugar artist or candy maker (or aspiring to be one), Spun Sugar is the place to go in the San Francisco Bay Area. Located in Berkeley, California, Spun Sugar caters to everyone from the novice homemaker to professional chef.
Our Location: We are a specialty retail store that carries supplies and ingredients for cake decorating, baking, chocolate work, sugar art and candy making. We carry both domestic and imported food and confectionary ingredients and we teach classes. Spun Sugar has an Italian espresso bar, sells cookies and confections that are produced on the premises by our Executive Pastry Chef, Mitchell Hughes. We use whole ingredients; fresh eggs, butter, real vanilla and the best chocolate in all of our products.
Classes: Spun Sugar believes that you must experience the process to learn fully, not just watch, so 99% of our classes are hands-on. Class sizes are kept small so that everyone gets ample attention from our instructors. Everyone always leaves with a box full of goodies, be it truffles, cheesecakes or a bouquet of gum paste flowers.
Chocolate: Our “Wall of Chocolate” is legendary. We offer a huge selection of top of the line bulk chocolate for your epicurean project. We are a distributor for the Guittard Chocolate Company and also supply high-end chocolate such as Callebaut, Valrohna and Cordillera. No order is too big or too small. We supply businesses and individuals. Visit our On Line Chocolate Store to purchase your favorite chocolate.
Our helpful and knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer your questions and guide you to the right tool or ingredient. If we don't have what you're looking for, we'll try to point you in the right direction. We love to bake and decorate and we want everyone to share in the joy of the art. In fact several of Spun Sugar’s staff have created award winning sugar pieces, come in and see our ribbons!
We are members of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, participating in several of their fundraisers throughout the year. We also support many local schools with donations for their annual fundraising events. We've supported Oakland Zoo's Walk in the Wild, Children's Fairyland and events for Children's Hospital.
Spun Sugar “Come Enjoy The Sweet Life!”
A Little Spun Sugar History
Bettye Travis and Linda Moreno, opened Spun Sugar in 1996 on University Ave, Berkeley, CA. With the untimely passing of Bettye in 2007, Linda has continued as the sole owner of Spun Sugar.
In May 2002, Spun Sugar bought out CTC (Coffee, Tea & Chocolate) and began offering high-end chocolate products from Guittard, Callebaut, Cordillera and Valrhona to pastry chefs, cafes and individuals.
Spun Sugar Staff
Our knowledgeable staff, Linda, Mitchell, Tracy, Ciara (Coco) and Marla are available to assist you with questions and help with your projects.
Owner and Instructor: Linda Moreno
Linda lives and breathes sugar. She has been decorating for over 40 years and teaching more than 35 years. She acquired her skills in gum paste and rolled fondant from Master Sugar Artists; Collette Peters, N.Y., Nicholas Lodge, GA., and Julie Bashore of House of Claredon, PA. She learned butter cream skills from Mrs. Souza, her first teacher, Roland Winbeckler, Linda Reese and Le King. She has also been a student to various other teachers from around the world.
Linda teaches many classes at Spun Sugar and is a guest instructor at Cake Art in San Rafael, CA. She has been an instructor at the California Cake Club’s Cake Camp. She is a member of the California Cake Club, International Cake Exploration Society (ICES) and the Contra Costa Cake and Sugar Art Society. She is a past judge at the Marin County Fair.
“Even after all this time in cake batter, my favorite cake is still white cake, raspberry filling and butter cream icing, bliss!” – Linda Moreno
Exceutive Pastry Chef and Instructor: Mitchell Hughes
Mitchell Hughes, Executive Pastry Chef at Spun Sugar, is a San Francisco native. He trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, graduating in 1997.
2000 - After chefing at Creightens in San Francisco, Mitchell came to work with Linda Moreno and Bettye Travis at Spun Sugar. Mitchell over sees the production of baked goods and confections, including his locally famous scones and truffles, which are sold at in our Berkeley, CA. retail store. His cookies and confections are also available at several local establishments under the Spun Sugar label.
Mitchell teaches baking and chocolate classes at Spun Sugar and is a guest instructor at Cake Art in San Rafael, CA. He often demonstrates his skills at Bay Area events.
Retail Store Manager and Instructor: Tracy Wirta
After retiring from a career in the High Tech world Tracy combined her love of cake decorating with teaching. She teaches cake decorating, decorating with chocolate, sugar art, petite fours and various other specialty classes at Spun Sugar and for the City of Walnut Creek’s Recreation Department. Tracy trained at the Wilton School of Cake Decorating in Chicago, IL., completing their Masters Cake Decorating program as well as courses in chocolate decorations, gum paste flowers and Poured and Pulled Sugar. Tracy has taken classes with top decorators Collette Peters, Susan Carberry, Kathy Scott, Debbie Brown and Roland Winbeckler.
In May 2006 Tracy founded the Contra Costa Cake & Sugar Art Society (CCCSAS) & currently serves as President. CCCSAS is a local cake decorating club that welcomes anyone with the love of all things sugar. The CCCSAS web site is http://www.contracostacakeclub.org. She also demonstrates her skills at Bay Area events and supports local organizations such as The Contra Costa and Solano Counties Food Bank.
Tracy is a member of the California Cake Club and the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES). Tracy has traveled to the country of Honduras to teach sugar art to people in need of a vocation to support their families. “It is not everyday cake decorators have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people in need. “ – Tracy Wirta
Retail Store Associate Full Time: Ciara Bird Nickname: Coco
Coco is an aspiring cake decorator and baker. She has a young family with two active children. Coco is outgoing and always has a smile for our customers. She is knowledgeable about Spun Sugar's products and services and is always willing to assist you. Coco says one thing she loves at Spun Sugar is the opportunity to learn something new from our customers.
Retail Store Associate Part Time: Marla Erojo
Marla is a 1995 graduate of California Culinary Academy. She is a Pastry Chef with her own business, Cakes Made by M.E., located in Oakland, CA. She is knowledgeable in the baking arts as well as cake decorating. Marla is always happy to answer questions and assist customer with their projects. She is a member of the Contra Costa Cake & Sugar Art Society (CCCSAS), the California Cake Club and the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES).
Check out her web site at www.cakesmadebyme.com
Junior Staff: Bianca Moreno-Travis, Cinny Moreno-Travis
Both Bianca and Cinny have a long history with Spun Sugar. Many of their friends are envious of their constant exposure to candies and cookies, from which they never seem to tire of either. They may not know all the answers to your questions, but they can help you find items in the store. Cinny is a budding cake decorator and a member of the Contra Costa Cake & Sugar Art Society (CCCSAS) and the International Cake Exploration Society (ICES).
10% discount for card-carrying student chefs
Spun Sugar is offering a 10% discounts on ingredients and supplies to anyone enrolled in an accredited culinary program, including community collage programs and culinary schools. Students will need to produce their student ID at the register to get the discount. Discount is not valid for class fees.
