Founded by Whitman alumna Isabel Taswell and juniors Zoe Taswell and Gaby Svec, honey b. cakery debuted May 31 at Crossroads Farmers Market in Takoma Park. The bakery offers honey-themed pastries such as sea salt caramels and flavored cakes.

Attending farmers markets in New York City inspired the Taswell sisters to start their own booth and, with Svec’s help, they formed honey b. cakery. After hours of researching Maryland cottage food laws, creating a business plan and setting a timeline, they now sell their products to the public.

“We are different from most start-ups because we are high school and college students who have other commitments throughout the day, yet still prioritize our business,” Svec said.

The three bake all of the cakes and pastries in the Taswells’ kitchen using locally extracted honey and herbs grown in their garden.

“Local honey is excellent for anyone with allergies,” Isabel Taswell said. “It introduces the allergens into your immune system slowly and almost secretively to help your body fight them off.”

The bakery makes a weekly appearance at Crossroads Farmers Market every Wednesday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and the girls hope to expand their business to other local markets.

To fund farmers market entrance fees, the group launched a GoFundMe and advertised on Facebook. In the future, they plan to donate some of their profits to bee conservation efforts because they feel it’s an important issue that deserves awareness, Svec said.

“Our cakes are perfect for family gatherings, parties and fundraisers,” Zoe Taswell said. “They are all original and unique.”

While the business is still fairly new, it garnered student attention when Taswell and Svec sold leftovers from the market at Whitman during lunch June 8.

“The cakes were honestly so delicious and fluffy,” junior Patricia Rojas said. “I encourage students to try them because they had their own twist and were different.”

Contact honey b. cakery through Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook or visit their website.