New June owner Noelle Blizzard started her baking business in July 2021 as someone without much of a hankering for desserts. But after selling croissants, buns, tarts and more out of her home in Fairmount, she eventually found her sweet spot in the cake industry.
“I just don’t really like cake, I don’t really like frosting, so I had to figure it out because it was a classic thing that people want to celebrate with for special occasions,” Blizzard said. “So I set off to make cakes that I would actually want to eat, filled with really flavorful fillings, and thinking about the composition a little bit differently than I felt the cakes that I’d had before or that I could frequently get my hands on in Philly. And so our style of cakes were born.”
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New June, which currently operates out of the Culinary Collective in Bridesburg, announced Wednesday that it will be opening a storefront at 2623 W. Girard Ave. in Brewerytown in November. The retail-to-go space will be a place to grab cakes, cookies, pies and other pastries.
Blizzard started New June out of her home as a self-taught baker during the pandemic before formally starting her company in 2021, even turning her dining room into a commercial kitchen at one point. Now, the bakery has grown to a team of five and has become a social media sensation, with a loyal following that shows up to pop-up events and decorating classes. The micro-bakery is known for occasion cakes in vintage style — which use Lambeth piping, ruffles and other decorations — and pressed flower designs; both of which can cost between $240 and $540 each.
The bakery doesn’t have an official opening date yet, but it plans to be up and running before Thanksgiving. Blizzard, who lives just a few blocks away, said she’s excited to interact more with customers with a brick-and-mortar store in a way that can’t be done with a commercial kitchen.
“It is something that fills me with a lot of gratitude … to bring something to my community, to get to open during the holiday season and be a part of it,” Blizzard said.
Provided Images/Melissa MacDonald (left) and Louisa Adam Barnes for New June
New June’s cakes (above) use Lambeth piping and other techniques for a vintage-style design.
New June’s bakery will be open Fridays and Saturdays to start, though Blizzard said she’ll add more hours in the future. Customers can pick up full sheet cakes, mini cakes, and cake and pie slices from their seasonal menu. There will also be more “casual” options like pumpkin tea cakes, seasonal pies (especially around Thanksgiving), tarts and an assortment of cookies. Blizzard said she plans to add more everyday options too, like a banana cake or a riff on a Tastykake.
After opening the storefront, Blizzard said she hopes to continue evolving the company and would love to add additional decorating options with buttercream and wafer paper flowers. (She worked for years at the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, so florals are a passion).
She’ll also continue to host pop-up events, including a Halloween decorating class in October, as well as Christmas and New Years-themed classes at the end of the year.
“Seeing the cakes in front of them, they say ‘It’s like a dose of joy, it’s beautiful, the cakes taste amazing, they make me happy, I love looking at them, I love sharing them with others,'” Blizzard said. “And maybe it’s that sense of joy and just total satisfaction that has really helped [relate to customers].”