<< Back To Reviews

Five businesses where Mom knows best - Lorene's Loving Oven

Since getting an Easy-Bake Oven as a child, Lorene Hughey has known exactly what she wants to do: decorate cakes.

After years of working in other bakeries, and coming out of retirement from Publix at the insistence of her longtime customers there, the owner of Lorene's Loving Oven in Lake Park is finally living her dream.

Now, she runs the only traditional bakery in town, and it's attracting quite a following, including the Siegfried family who owned Siegfried's Bakery. It was formerly the only family-run bakery in Lake Park.

Of Course, Lorene has had a little help from her mom, Altamese Kerr.

Altamese is the old-fashioned heart and soul behind the made-from-scratch desserts like coconut cream pie and banana pudding that are baked daily.

Using her own family recipes, Altamese refuses to take short cuts, because it just doesn't taste the same, she says. Besides, it's not nearly as much fun.

"When you bake from scratch, you do a lot of experimenting, and I love it," Altamese says.

The bakery, which opened in August, is a bit of a role reversal from the days when their family ran a restaurant in Melbourne while Lorene was in high school. Back then, Altamese ran the eatery.

Now, Lorene calls the shots, and mother says that's just fine.

"After I got to a certain age, I wasn't going to be in charge," Altamese, 62, says. "Now, she can just tell me what to do."

But Lorene says that's not really necessary.

"It's great (working with her mom) because she is very picky about her work, and so am I," Lorene says. "We almost think alike."

They are so picky, in fact, they have no plans to hire anyone from outside the family. Both women says there are too many inexperienced and unreliable bakers. Plus they couldn't find anyone whom they could count on as much as they do each other.

"We have to depend, first of all on God, and then each other," Altamese says.

Lorene knew from the start that her mom's desserts would be the top quality that she demands. And with such a reliable employee and confidante, Lorene has more time to work on her passion - wedding cakes.

"I can really use my imagination now," she says.

Ultimately, being creative and spending time with her customers is the most important part of owning her own business, she says. "I'm here because I love what I do."

Gift Certificates Now Available!