AT 15, a cake decorating course for her birthday started it all. Through it, Morgan Bargers discovered a natural talent for baked creations too pretty to eat. Buttercream icing, fondant, and cupcake liners paved the road to Mouth of the South Bakery shortly after that.
But first, college. The criminal justice major soon switched to culinary school, a good mix of everything creative she loves to do. Math and science, her favorite subjects, were also ingredients, and she knew she wanted to be her own boss.
“So it was just the perfect mix, I think. No pun intended,” she laughed.
Pies at Thanksgiving while still in college kick-started her baking career. “Who doesn’t like pies?” she thought. So she took orders on her Facebook page, and the response was positive.
“It was amazing,” she said. “So many people ordered — friends, family, family friends, people I went to school with. It was humbling to get that kind of support right out of the gate.”
From there, Mouth of the South Bakery became a part of our family celebrations, special occasions, and sweet tooth cravings. She’s baked in her college apartment, home, and storefronts. Today, you’ll find her creative treats at North Main Marketplace.
“I really liked the idea of celebrating with people, going through life’s stages with them. I started with several brides, and I’ve been able to do their baby showers, gender reveals, and their children’s first birthday cakes. I’ve kind of grown up with them [and] with their kids, and I think that’s a cool part of it,” Bargers said.
While she loves the decorated, fancy cakes and cookies, she said it’s hard to beat treats that are just homey, like chess pies. For Bargers, these bring to mind Southern hospitality and memories of her grandmother teaching her to make mashed potatoes as a little girl. Good food is always part of our favorite memories.
Many clients have done business with her from the beginning and continue to shop with her at the marketplace.
“I’ve had a very, very loyal clientele, and I’m grateful for it,” Bargers said.
She describes her space at the marketplace as a mini bakery, which she strives to keep stocked. As she balances the bakery and special orders, customers bear with her patiently.
Thursdays on Bargers’s calendar are reserved for the highlight of her week when she trades her apron for a seat behind a desk at First Choice Pregnancy Counseling Center in Shelbyville.
“Cakes and cookies are great,” Bargers said, “but I felt like God was calling me to do a little something different. About that time, Angela Rasnick, the First Choice director, happened to come in, and I asked if they needed volunteers. She said they always need volunteers. I turned in my application and started the next week.”
Bargers is a client advocate, connecting clients with resources and assisting them with the center’s Earn While You Learn program. The educational program covers everything from pregnancy to the baby’s first year, financial practices, relationship matters, and healing from abuse. Clients earn baby bucks they can spend in the center’s baby boutique as they progress through the modules.
Here, Bargers connects with families, too.
“We go over whatever the lesson was about that week, and I just talk with them and pray with them. I think that my favorite part is hearing their stories. I love catching up with them every week,” she said.
Her time at the center has affirmed what she believed she heard God calling her to do. She’s going back to school to become certified in biblical counseling but will continue baking.
“I feel like I’ve had a longing for a while to do more. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had so much peace about a decision; I’m excited about it,” Bargers said. “I turned 30 this year. When you’re 20, you think you have everything figured out and everything will be smooth. We all know that doesn’t usually happen. I think my path is more clear than ever before. Life goes by so quickly. And I don’t want to get so caught up in this life that I forget about what I can be doing to serve people for eternity.”
Whether through her sweet confections or counseling at the center, Bargers is at home serving others.
“I just want to brag on God. I’ve lived a good amount of life in my short life, and God’s carried me through all of it. He’s blessed me far beyond what I deserve,” she said. GN
