Rising Stars: Meet Arden Ingram of Wichita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arden Ingram.

Hi Arden, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I moved to Wichita four years ago, I was a young adult adjusting to life on my own. I worked at a coffee shop for about a year and met some incredible people there. During that time, one of my coworkers was pregnant and mentioned that she had a craving for raw cookie dough but was unable to eat it. So, I went home that night, learned to make edible cookie dough, and brought it in. Around the same time, another coworker had a birthday coming up, so I decided to make a pie for her. After that, I just didn’t stop baking. There’s something so nice about the process of turning simple ingredients (flour, butter, sugar) into beautiful creations and getting to share that with others is magical to me. After I separated from that company, I decided to look for more professional experience in bakeries and in fine dining. I’m so grateful to have worked in those environments, as they strongly helped shape my integrity as an artist. To me, pastry is an art form not just dessert. And I highly seek to create artwork that combines the two. So, I created Pâtisserie Paradise.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was incredibly difficult to gain this much knowledge and mastery of pastry. I experienced a lot of rejection in my career. I didn’t attend a culinary school and I was young so, in most professional environments I wasn’t taken seriously. It hurt, but I knew that I had a genuine love for what I was doing and decided to open doors for myself. I don’t want limitations on my skill set to be set by others.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I highly value quality over quantity, so I create pastry artwork that is incredibly detailed on both an artistic and technical level. I specialize in making dessert collections inspired by my experiences, feelings, and personal stories, designed to accompany intimate celebrations. It’s very important to me to give everyone a truly well-made dessert, so I make everything entirely from scratch. I take the time to individually sculpt and paint flower petals, and I’m always asking myself how I can make the overall experience more immersive. Choosing to stay committed to purpose driven projects, even when faced with rejection, is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It’s so important to fall in love with the process of the work you’re doing. Taking a more independent route can get pretty rough at times, but it’s nice when you’re able to look back at the larger picture and ease up a bit during difficult moments.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patisserie.paradise?igsh=MWFja2xtNTAzNzd5eA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16xuKXCjeR/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@patisserie.paradise?_t=ZP-8yipjfXOSNi&_r=1