A young Harlem boy makes banana pudding in his bedroom and won his first baking contest in middle school. Kareem Queeman hopes he will claim even sweeter recognition in June. “I’m looking to steal that win at the James Beard Awards ceremony. I’m looking to become a published author. I want to tell my story. I think my story matters, and it can help someone else,” says the founder of Mr. Bake Sweets.
Queeman is a semifinalist for the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. The Maryland bake shop owner recognizes the prestige of being among the 20 semifinalists. “It does show that I am a true baker and pastry chef. I know what I’m doing, and all of these different classes and jobs I’ve done since I was a teenager all meant something and are paying off.”
Mr. Bake Arrives in Riverdale Park
It has taken decades of baking for Queeman to see himself as talented enough to compete with his peers. He went from making sweet treats for relatives, neighbors, teachers and classmates to working in bakeries and selling his creations on the side.
“I built out my house to run as a cottage kitchen. I had my own refrigerator. I bought my own pans,” says Mr. Bake. “I invested in my own business from what I was making at my full-time and part-time jobs,” he says.
The Mr. Bake Sweets, LLC Queeman launched ten years ago became a brick-and-mortar operation inside Le Fantome at the Station in Riverdale Park, Maryland. “The food hall was presented to me in January 2021. I researched the management company and told them I am a business you need to have,” Queeman adds.
The baker’s ghost kitchen was among the first ten vendors when Le Fantome Food Hall & Bar opened in August 2022. Queeman chose Prince George’s County over the District of Columbia for his location. A county resident for 12 years, the baker expresses why he wanted to provide an up-scale, quality bakery for area residents and restaurants.
“I have a great product and love Prince George’s County. I love that it is rich in Black culture. I love the money that comes from us supporting Black businesses and each other.”
Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Maryland) stopped by the international marketplace to congratulate Queeman on his James Beard Award nomination and community service. After presenting the entrepreneur with a congressional citation, Ivey told WTOP News, “There’s nothing like being able to do a meeting and then have an award-winning chocolate cupcake at the end of it.”
The pastry chef attributes his success to the love he always puts into his work. “We bake everything from scratch, from our cake batter to the frosting to the fillings you get. We make all of that in-house,” says Queeman. “That’s why we always say we bake with love because I’m baking with intentionality and with you in mind.”
Mr. Bake Sweets changes flavors monthly and offers seasonal specials. The red velvet cupcakes, fudge brownies and banana pudding are top sellers.
Continue reading over at Cuisine Noir.
Cuisine Noir Magazine is the country’s first Black food publication, launched in 2009 and dedicated to connecting the African diaspora through food, drink and travel. To read the rest of this article and more, visit www.cuisinenoirmag.com.
