Copyright Hartford Courant
Serving others is a recurring theme in Alyssa DeMatteo’s life. Not only is she the owner of Wildflour Confections, a specialty bakery in Seymour, DeMatteo has served in the Connecticut Army National Guard since 2018. “I was deployed in 2021-2022, which gave me my veteran status. I try to support veteran-owned businesses which I think I can say the same for all patriots,” said DeMatteo, who appreciates the opportunity to step away from the military and indulge her passion for baking. “I grew up making Christmas cookies with my mother and apple pies with my grandmother,” said DeMatteo, a self-taught baker who draws on that experience along with inspiration from her father. “My father always had his own business, and I’m a lot like him. Growing up watching him, I knew how much work and dedication it required and I was prepared to give it that. It took lots of trial and error before these recipes were solidified.” Located at 38 Columbus Street, the bakery makes everything on site daily using high-quality ingredients with no preservatives. “We create custom cakes and cupcakes for celebrations that are meant to be remembered – our sweets are easily recognized as we’ve worked for years on our branding of the product,” said DeMatteo. “We’re bound to our tall cakes (up to 7 inches-tall) with clean cut designs and lots of flowers. Many times, a customer will say, ‘I was at a birthday party last weekend and knew the cake was a Wildflour one when I saw it.’ We’ve built ourselves on simplicity, consistency, and with a little edge.” The bakery features over 100 flavors of gourmet cupcakes with flavors that rotate daily in the shop. She also offers seasonal flavors. “All of them can be turned into a cake,” said DeMatteo whose favorite is Earl Grey tea cupcake with lavender buttercream. “We keep our classic vanilla and chocolate flavors in the shop daily, but our back row cupcakes rotate through our whole flavor list.” Also, the menu includes cake truffles; gourmet chocolate-covered cake balls that she described as grown-up versions of the cake pop; French macarons; coffee cake; a variety of chocolate-dipped items; raspberry strudel; a selection of cookies and brownies; coconut macaroons; and more. Also, a special treat is frosting shots, a tiny shot glass alternating sprinkles and frosting with a mini spoon to eat on the go. Artisanal pies, featuring DeMatteo’s grandmother’s apple pie, and doughnuts are offered seasonally along with Christmas cookies, including giant gingerbread decorating kits. Kristi Maler, of Seymour, said she visits the bakery often. “Wildflour has played an important role in every milestone for our family,” she said. “We’ve also ordered many different cakes for our family events over the years. Although my daughters’ themes of cakes have changed over the years from unicorns to classic pink/gold, the taste, presentation, and reliability have not,” she said. On visits, Maler said she always purchases a variety of cupcakes. “Every flavor is outstanding with the perfect amount of filling and frosting. My daughters also enjoy the cake pops.” Maler said the bakery is the perfect addition to their small town. “When you walk in, it’s charming and welcoming. Alyssa couldn’t be sweeter or more accommodating. “She’s extremely passionate and skilled with a great eye for the visual presentation of all of her baked goods. She’s the perfect example of hometown pride – full of heart, talent, and always giving back to her community.” In 2012, DeMatteo launched her bakery as a Facebook page, and in 2015 she found a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Seymour’s Antique District and has an all-female team. “With a lot of effort and a little luck I was able to open the storefront,” said DeMatteo who fell in love with cake design and decorating while working at a local bakery. In 2017, her commitment to her craft was recognized by the CT Women’s Business Development Council DeMatteo as a ‘20 For 20’ award recipient, and in 2018 she received CT Small Business Association’s 2018 Young Entrepreneur of the Year. DeMatteo is the bakery’s only cake decorator. “Decorating is where my passion lies, but I’ve handed off the ropes of the majority of the baking to our head baker, Mollie,” said DeMatteo noting she thinks up cake ideas during off hours. “The ideas come to me at all times of day, many times during Army training. Some of our best sellers were thoughts that came to me while on a break from a training mission or a long ride in a convoy,” she said. The bakery has multiple seating areas for customers to gather and enjoy a baked good along with a beverage. The bakery sells iced and hot drip coffee, iced tea, and hot tea. Also, DeMatteo provides birthday parties for kids and Frost & Sips. “Each attendee gets a blank iced cake and I instruct step by step on how to decorate pertaining to the theme of the event,” she said. Overall, the customers make every day special for DeMatteo, she said. “The bakery closed for nearly three years when I was deployed overseas and went right into flight school after that. Three years away with the Army can make you feel forgotten, but when I opened back up, the support I’ve had from everyone who walks through the door is immensely important to me and to this business,” she said. “A year after reopening and we still have people say, ‘I’m so happy you came back.’ I’m grateful for all my customers.”
