Spencer and I are originally from Knoxville Tennessee, moving to Nashville the day we were married. Boating has always been part of our life and Center Hill Lake quickly became our favorite. So Center Hill, Cookeville, and Sparta became our weekend place to visit and relax with friends and family. Even as Cincinnati, Buffalo and Greenville South Carolina, became our working homes, family, friends and Tennessee were always more important. After 20 years away from our home state of Tennessee we moved to Center Hill, and built our commercial bakery overlooking the beautiful lake. Family, friends, Tennessee and great food; life is good! I came from a family of wonderful cooks. My earliest memories always included food as a centerpiece. Be it a birthday, a holiday, sickness or even a funeral, food was either a celebration, or a comfort. Mother Betty’s potato soup, Mamma’s fried chicken, Aunt Estelle’s chocolate pie, Great Grandmother’s dumplings – the list could go on and on. I came by the love of cooking good food honestly! As Spencer and I moved and traveled with his career, I took the opportunity to get formal training in baking in Buffalo, Toronto, and Atlanta. I’ve always had excellent teachers starting at home and then professionally. I am proud to say that a great many of my recipes are family recipes, offering that great flavor that you come to expect at a family reunion.

“It was that beautiful, warm, wonderful and loving response to Kay’s baking that put a smile on our face. People loved the cookies so much that sometimes they wouldn’t even eat their treats. We often handed out two cookies, hoping that they would eat at least one. After eating one, they discovered that the cookies were not only beautiful, but delicious. So one of our tag lines, Beautiful & Delicious, also came from our friends and customers.” -Spencer Alfrey

As I began to sell my baked items, the comment that customers would make was, oh I can’t eat that…it’s “Too Pretty To Eat”® ! Even today, when we deliver cakes and cookies, I hear the same comment. It brings a smile to that person’s face when they realize that’s the name of our business. We did not name our business, our customers named our business for us! The response to our name, Too Pretty To Eat ® has really been fun. When someone sees one of our baked treats, or our cupcakes on one of our cute tee-shirts, people just laugh and smile. What else could you ask for? How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalms 119:103 Kay Alfrey

Our commercial bakery was built new in 2007, and is fully licensed and State inspected.  The building layout and equipment were all designed to support our personalized bridal tastings, baking, and delivery & shipment of our bakery and apparel goodies. So why Walling? After we married we moved from Knoxville to Nashville, and we were looking for “good lake water” and we both fell in love with Center Hill Lake, and Middle Tennessee.  The lake and surrounding countryside was just so pretty and peaceful when compared to the lakes near Nashville, and the people were great.  So for years we made the trip from Nashville to Center Hill for water skiing and the beautiful views. We left Tennessee after 16 years in Nashville to pursue Spencer’s career in Supply Chain Logistics. In 2005 we decided to move back to Tennessee to be closer to our family and friends. We found our property on the very lower of Center Hill in Walling, next to Rock Island, and started our home overlooking the water. Then halfway through the construction of our home we decided to build a separate building dedicated to our bakery. Not a conventional location for a bakery, but great views and a peaceful environment. It’s a beautiful drive through the country to our place, and you will pass some “interesting places” on your trip.  You will be rewarded with a warm welcome, great cake, and a facility designed to exceed your expectations.