Simsbury Cafe's Head Baker Up For Major Honor

SIMSBURY, CT — The manager of a Simsbury coffee hotspot and well-known baker in town is a candidate for a national award that requires some online community support.

Siobhan Murphy, the manager and head baker at The Coffee Spot, 750 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, is a candidate for Bake From Scratch Magazine's "The Greatest Baker" contest, with a voting process that also aims to raise money to help families dealing with pediatric cancer.

The winner in the contest earns $10,000 and a profile in the magazine.

Simsbury Selectman Eric Wellman urged folks to log on, donate and vote for Murphy, whose array of baked goods, from cupcakes to scones to bread and muffins, is also available at the Harvest Bakery Cafe, 1390 Hopmeadow St.

"We all know that Simsbury is a foodie town. Here’s a chance to prove it," wrote Wellman via Facebook.

While up for a major baking award, Murphy told the magazine she's not a full-fledged, professional baker.

"I jokingly refer to myself as an 'accidental baker.' I keep quitting other career jobs because I just can’t stay out of the kitchen," she told Bake From Scratch.

"Unofficially, I’ve been baking since I was a little kid. My mom always jokes that she doesn’t know where I got it from since she is not a baker."

Murphy said she doesn't really have a sweet tooth, with her favorite items to bake being bread/muffins/scones.

As for what she'd do if she won, she said the prize money would be used to update her kitchen and send her daughter to preschool.

As part of the voting process, one vote is free, but folks can couple their votes with donations for cancer victim families, resulting in extra votes added to Murphy's total.

For example, a $10 donation nets Murphy 10 votes and, say, a $250 donation gives Murphy 250 votes.

For more information on the contest and to vote for Siobhan Murphy, click on this link.

For more information on The Coffee Spot, click on this link.