Hough Bakery Head Baker is Still in Cleveland baking away

Hough Bakery products still exist... head baker, Archie Garner has his own bakery shop in Cleveland.

Archie's Lake Shore Bakery
14906 Lake Shore Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44110

See Plain Dealer article below:

Hough Bakeries cake
Monday, March 26, 2007
This is my 50th "What's the Deal With?" story, and I'm celebrating by eating . . . er, I mean writing about one of the best cakes in Cleveland history. Folks need only hear the name "Hough," and they can almost smell and taste the dense and moist frosted cake that was an honored guest at so many special occasions.

Hough Bakeries, its white boxes trimmed with blue swirls and distinctive writing, was a staple until 1992, when the company abruptly closed its 32 stores after 89 years. People still unfavorably compare other cakes by noting, "It's good, but it's not Hough."

In 1994, Archie Garner, a 25-year Hough Bakeries employee, opened Archie's Lakeshore Bakery - at 14906 Lake Shore Blvd. - and has been cranking out the Hough taste ever since.

To remain legal, the recipes are altered slightly, but he still makes everything from scratch, an expensive practice. Kraft Foods Inc. bought the name and recipes shortly after Hough filed for bankruptcy. I called Kraft to see if it used the recipes and was told its archives contain no Hough references. It sold off some bakery brands including Entenmann's in 1995, and Hough was probably ditched then, too.

Garner figures that for less than $50,000, Kraft got rid of its biggest Ohio competitors, as both Entenmann's and Hough were in grocery stores then. A few years ago, a state regulatory department granted Garner the right to use the Hough name - as "Bakery," not "Bakeries."

There is a mystique in Garner's technique, and his recipes remain a secret. He did say that the weather, mixing process, order of adding ingredients and even the shape of the mixing beater all factor in. The business is by advance phone order only (216-481-4188), and he no longer has the sweets available to walk-in traffic. Cakes come in a variety of sizes and flavors, and Garner bakes other famous Hough items like petit fours, cookies, Lemon Tops, cupcakes and savory mushroom pies.

Garner has fiercely loyal customers. One man sent a cake (by itself) to a friend on a Greyhound bus. Another couple took one to Italy, and some loving parents drove from Boston to pick up their son's wedding cake.

One busy Saturday, a customer began sobbing at the counter. With tears in her eyes she said, "I never thought I'd taste Hough cake again."

I purchased a half-sheet version with white icing and colorful spring flowers to share with colleagues. I wanted to know if the taste, which gave me that d j vu sensation, did the same for others. As expected, it did. I heard one Metro reporter say, "This is my childhood."

- Allison Carey, Plain Dealer reporter