James Edwards was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, although he has moved around a lot. After retiring from the United States Air Force, James began a second career baking award-winning sweet potato pies from his grandmother’s heavenly secret recipe. He now lives and runs a storefront in Ogden and has booths at farmers markets around the state of Utah.
My family and I visited Park City, Utah earlier this fall, and a colleague of my husband’s brought us one of James’s pies to welcome us. I thanked her politely and appreciated the thought, but secretly believed we’d end up throwing it away, because I’m a huge pie snob.
Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out how wrong I was. I tried the pie and fell in love. James’s recipe is a secret, but I discerned the masterful touch of browned butter mixed with ground graham crackers to form the heavenly crust—topped with a smooth, rich, sweet potato filling and tangy pineapple bits.
That pie got eaten for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and as soon as the Park City Farmers Market rolled around that week, I went to James’s booth and introduced myself. James is one of the most positive and enthusiastic people I’ve ever met—truly as extraordinary a man as he is a baker. I bought more pies after chatting with him for a while. I’m saving one in our freezer for Thanksgiving, and I can’t wait to taste it all over again.
Utahns, you are in luck, and I envy you. Go to James’s website or call and pre-order your pies for the holiday season. You will not be sorry!
1) Tell us about your journey making and selling these incredible pies. How did you get your start? Who influenced you?
I started baking with my Grandmother at around 12 years old! That was special time for me and my Grandmother to spend together. We were baking so much that my mother suggested we give some away to our church! So many people loved our (cakes at the time), people started to order them in large quantities.
We started asking for donations but somehow, I never got the feeling from grandma that she was doing it for the money, probably because she let me keep it all!
Another great influencer of baking was my step-mother! She made delicious cakes and pies as well. So I had two very influential bakers in my life!
2) So lucky! What’s been the biggest challenge of your career as a gourmet pie maker?
The most challenging thing for me was the very beginning! Most people will not chase their dreams and do what they love because let's face it, starting is tough! Fortunately, the pain of a start-up business or chasing your dream subsides after life gets done teaching you the lesson it's trying to teach you!
I figured out very quickly, you must adapt or close shop! I could write a book's worth of pages explaining the difficulties that you'll face when you really don't know what you're doing. But you do know that the looks on your customer's faces—ranging from toddlers to the elderly—when they try your pie for the first, second and third time is totally worth it!
3) I totally get that, because your pies are outstanding! What's one thing you order at restaurants that you never make at home?
French fries! They could be the best tasting French fries in the world, but when you microwave them the next day, they never taste the same. It saddens me every time!
4) Imagine you're stranded on a desert island. What five foods would you most want with you?
James’ Gourmet Sweet Potato Pie for sure! Why? Because I'll need some comfort while I'm out there so I calm down and think rationally! Also beef hot dogs and baked beans! I caramelize the beans (because I'm a baker) and the beef hot dogs cut up beanie and weenie style is my absolute favorite food of all time. Of course because I'm from a small state just outside of Philadelphia, Philly Cheesesteak! Last but not least, a military MRE! Why—because they stick with you for days!
5) Haha, I love that. Now I’m dying to taste your baked beans! What are your goals for James' Gourmet Pies? How do you envision the business expanding?
My ultimate goal is to share a pie with the world! I think the homestyle baking has become a lost art. I'd have to say my favorite compliment that will never get old (which none of them do) is when I hear, “This tastes like grandma's baking but better!” I have to fight back a tear because I know that bite took the person back to a special memory!
Thank you, James!