Sweet Dreams: Chelsea Taylor asking for votes in upcoming Greatest Baker competition

“I was in tears. I didn’t believe it at first.” That is how Williamsburg’s Chelsea Taylor described the moment when she found out that she will soon have a chance at winning $10,000 and a Q&A with one of her childhood idols, celebrity Chef Buddy Valastro.

“I came across an ad on Facebook,” Taylor explained. “I clicked on it, filled out the application, and submitted some photos. I didn’t think that I was going to be chosen, but then I got the e-mail.”

The ad that Taylor came across was for the upcoming The Greatest Baker competition, which is sponsored by Bake From Scratch Magazine. Presented by Chef Valastro, star of the popular television show Cake Boss, this competition will ask supporters to cast their votes online for who they think should receive the honor of being named the next Greatest Baker.

Taylor, a 2014 graduate of Williamsburg High School, credits her grandmother, Bonnie Shepherd, with instilling in her a passion for creating delicious treats.

“I had been begging her to show me how to make peanut butter roll,” Taylor said. “After I got married [in 2016 to high school sweetheart, Tyler], she finally decided to show me.”

Since that time, Taylor said that she continued learning how to make other sweets, preparing them for friends and family members before graduating to larger events such as birthday parties, corporate events and weddings.

Late last year, Taylor started her own shop in downtown Williamsburg called Chelsea’s Creations, LLC. Her beloved grandmother sadly fell ill and passed away a few months after the doors opened, but she was there to help her granddaughter get things going before she became sick.

“That was one of the hardest things that I’ve been through in a long time,” Taylor said of her grandmother’s passing. “She was definitely one of my most favorite people. She helped me so much.”

Now, Taylor is hoping that she can honor her grandmother’s memory and grow her business by winning the upcoming The Greatest Baker competition. In addition to gaining widespread notoriety and being able to put $10,000 in prize money in the bank, she is also excited about the idea of getting to pick the brain of Chef Valastro.

“It would be a big deal,” Taylor said. “I used to watch him all the time as a kid.”

As for why she loves baking, Taylor said, “I am a perfectionist. I try to make things look exactly how the customer wants it, and when they come to pick it up it just makes me feel good. It makes me happy to see their reactions. That is a big reason why I keep doing it.”

People will have the opportunity to begin voting for Taylor in The Greatest Baker competition beginning Nov. 27. Once voting opens, she will post further instructions to the Chelsea’s Creations, LLC Facebook page.

In the meantime, Taylor encourages everyone to come and check out some of her sweet creations at the Christmas Bazaar event scheduled for Nov. 25 at the Williamsburg Tourism Center.