December 2007 Issue

Sue Larson

AGE: 57

HOMETOWN: New Albany

 

PERSONAL: Married to Mark; they have three children: Kirsten, 24, Kristopher, 22, and Kalin, 20.

 

OCCUPATION: Owner of Le Gateau, a cake and pastry shop. Her business is conducted primarily by phone (614/939-1930) and online (www.legateau.net).

 

WHERE SHE LEARNED TO BAKE: Larson trained at Lenotre Pastry School in France, and continues to learn from professionals like Norman Love, a chocolatier with the French Pastry School in Chicago. She also has a master’s degree in art and design.

 

CLAIM TO FAME: Larson won second place at the 2006 National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

ROUGHEST TIME ON THE JOB: Christmas. “The most I have ever gone without sleeping is three nights in a row,” she says. “Timing is everything; you can’t work in advance.”

 

HER LIFE DURING THE HOLIDAYS: In addition to baking two to three wedding cakes a week, during the holidays she creates gingerbread houses (15 to 30 hours per house), thousands of cookies (one hour to decorate 12 cookies) and custom cakes decorated like presents.

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Starting a new line of upscale brownies and miniature French pastries to be sold online. by lori b. murray