Carla Anderson

Ya’uc! Hello! My name is Carla Anderson, I’m part of the xa’isla nation and I LOVE sugar cookies! I’ve been a home baker for years and in June 2022, with the support of my husband Chris, started my business: ‘Up the River Baking.

I create edible art in the form of premium, small-batch, custom decorated sugar cookies. I’m self-taught in the art of using royal icing to decorate cookies and have proudly honed my craft over the years.

I love sharing where my name ‘Up the River Baking’ comes from!

I’m part of a big, beautiful family that’s always worried about whether you’ve had enough to eat. It’s our way of saying ‘I love you’.

When my ancestors went up the river during oolichan season, they would fry dough in the oolichan grease making ‘up the river bread’. Generally, known as fry bread or bannock. The tradition of baking bread and frying dough continued throughout the years. I grew up watching the women in my family cooking and baking. My favourite memories are of them making loaves upon loaves of bread by hand. Yet, the real treat for us kids was eating the ‘up the river bread’ hot out of the oil and dipping it into Roger’s syrup. My business name is a tribute to my family, our traditions and the love I carry with me from these memories. 

These memories motivate me to bake and inspire me to express my creativity to bring people together with delicious treats.

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