Pastry Chef Autumn Hall Launches New Pie Company

There’s one truth in Arkansas food that has proven itself time and time again…you can never have too much pie. Autumn Hall, former pastry chef with Yellow Rocket Group (Big Orange, Local Lime, Zaza, Lost Forty) understands that better than anyone. During her time at Yellow Rocket she produced hundreds of pies—taking a huge number of special orders during holidays or putting a rotating slice on several of the restaurants’ daily menus.
Now, Autumn Hall has teamed up with her friend, Katie Douglas—who usually goes by the name “Donkey”—to launch a new pre-order pie company which they’ve affectionately named “Pies B4 Guys”. And they’re determined to bring more sweet pie to all of Little Rock.
Hall and Donkey first began baking together while at Big Orange. “We had a lot in common such as a nostalgic love for baking, all things Halloween related, the good kind of gummy bears (produce section of Kroger), and cats that wear clothes,” says Hall. She jokes, “We think women should get back in the kitchen where they belong. Or the complete opposite of all that.”
Hall continues, “I like to think that our sense of humor and personal convictions are evident somewhat in our baked goods. We try to do what we can in terms of social issues. Whether it’s donating pies to raise monies or actively participating in our local community’s efforts to squelch inequality and discrimination against minorities and the LGBT community.”
With their new pie business, they’re producing a variety of pies which customers can pre-order and are available for pick-up or delivery. The menu will be different every week, but expect a few regular favorites and a special pie or two. They’re currently offering Key lime, lemon pie, and orange brûléed tarts for Spring.
Other menu standards include “Bill Clinton’s Lemon Chess Pie,” which they say is a variation of a recipe shared by Clinton himself but “jazzed up a bit…because Bill played the saxophone.” This lemon-chess pie is made with a buttermilk cornmeal crust and enhanced with lavender sea salt. There’s also a Black Bottom Coconut Cream Pie which they describe as their version of a Mounds bar.
All pies are a standard $27. You can keep up with all available pies by checking out either their Instagram (@piesb4guys) or Facebook pages. Pies can be delivered anywhere in Little Rock ($5 delivery fee) or can be picked up. They’re available for (and encourage) custom orders. (Note: if you’d like a pie for the upcoming Easter holiday, you must place an order by 6 pm Friday, April 5th). You can contact them via their various social media platforms or by email at piesb4guys@gmail.com.