Emily Burns has fed her six children and her community for many years. She never intended to bake for a living, but when her dear friend, Leslie Jackson, unexpectedly passed away in the summer of 2023, Emily spent lots of time baking as a form of therapy. Leslie had always encouraged Emily to open a catering or baking business. In January of this year, Emily saw her friend’s dream for her come to fruition.
The day I spoke with Emily, she was assembling a banana split, made with the Hershey’s ice cream the bakery offers. When I asked her about the bakery’s beginnings, she said, “The Lord told me to feed people.”
That’s exactly what Emily and her crew do. It started with baking apple cakes. Emily was soon inundated with requests for the popular cake, and shortly thereafter, Mill Creek Homestyle Bakery was born. Now, along with the bakery’s delicious bread and other baked goods, ice cream and ice cream treats, customers can get Black Dog Coffee and several homestyle cooked breakfast and lunch offerings, including sandwiches.
Mill Creek Homestyle Bakery has become a treasured part of the White Sulphur Springs community in the months since its inception. Not only do Emily and her employees provide a delicious menu and excellent service to all their customers, but Emily donates her excess food to a local non-profit that serves folks in the community who need kindness and a helping hand. Emily and her ladies have even saved a life, when they assisted a young man wrestling with addiction. She has often provided a meal and something to drink to people who are experiencing homelessness.
I asked Emily and one of her employees, Connie Eggleston, their favorite thing about what they do. Their answers were similar. “We love people through food. We like to be kind to people, let them know we care, that we’ll take care of them, meet their needs,” Connie said.
Emily added, “It’s more than just feeding people. Sometimes you just need to listen to them, too. It’s really unique, the way this business has unfolded. My favorite thing about it is the people. That’s what the women who work with me and I do: feed people and have a smile on your face. We’re so thankful and blessed to have this opportunity.”
Mill Creek Homestyle Bakery is located at 200 Pocahontas Trail, Suite 4, in White Sulphur Springs. They are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can order online and learn more by visiting the website, millcreekhomestylebakery.com. Mill Creek Homestyle Bakery also has a Facebook page, and their phone number is 304-956-2131. In addition to online ordering and in-store shopping, they offer carryout and call ahead pick-up service.
