Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go are the lyrics to a popular children's song - in this instance, you don't have to go over the river or through the woods to get to this sweet and addicting destination, but rather, make your way ... however you like, by boat, plane, in wheelchair or walking with cane - to borrow lyrics from Henry B. Knowles - to a bakery with the name that says it all ... Addiction.

Addiction: The Outrageous Bakery by pastry chef Biteddie "Teddie" Bethel is a gem to unearth, located on Armbrister Street, Fox Hill.

It's at this rather surprising location that Bethel sells what has become her famous cupcakes, custom cakes, wedding cakes and pastries and where she lives up to the tagline - unique flavors unmatched. With an in-store retail menu that changes daily, you never know what flavors you will meet because Bethel could be serving chocolate Guinness with Baileys, cotton candy, guava duff, s'mores, apple pie, lemon fever grass cheesecake, or peanut butter and jelly to name a few of her unique flavor offerings.

A custom cake at Addiction bakery.

"All flavors are our signature," said Bethel. "I think the demand for each flavor changes with the season. One flavor that amazes me is our guava duff cupcake which is moist, guava filled and has notes of Bacardi ... what can I say? It's a Bahamian thing."

Pastry is a field she loves, as for Bethel, it's about the artistry.

"I love the art of it all," said Bethel. "The ability to have raw materials and turn them into so much more fascinates me. The artistry keeps me from getting bored, and allows me to constantly create."

For as long as she can remember, baking and pastry have intertwined with her existence.

"I grew up next door to a bakery, and have always had fond memories of the art at a young age. At the age of 14, I started Addiction with the assistance of my best friend Kentae Hart and cousin Kyshiesha Treco. We would sell cupcakes every summer, and I built a consistent clientele. So, with a wooden stool, a plastic chair, a cooler, a party table and four dozen cupcakes, Addiction was born."

Cupcakes by Biteddie L. Bethal at Addiction bakery.

Addiction began as a home-based business in 2012 when Bethel was just a teenager. Bethel opened the doors to the brick-and-mortar establishment on December 27, 2021.

She opted to open her doors in Fox Hill as an homage to her fellow Foxhillians. Bethel said many people were surprised that she would open a bakery in Fox Hill.

"People find it strange all the time. Their initial reaction is that they are coming to a house - until they get to the store. Most people say they would not have guessed something like this is in Fox Hill and some express that they had never been further into the community than Fox Hill Road."

Bethel chose Fox Hill because it's home.

"For one, the infrastructure for the store was already here and I wanted to place something in our community that people would not only look forward to, but would bring people from all over New Providence into Fox Hill. For too long, Fox Hill has carried negative stereotypes. It's about time our community has been seen for being beautiful, historic and diverse. I would like to think of Addiction as a gem of Fox Hill. It goes without saying - born, bred and will dead a Fox Hill gal."

The business model for the shop as it is today wasn't always her plan. During the height of the pandemic, she had trouble sourcing cake supplies and decorations. She would stock up on items and found that friends who also baked would ask to purchase items from her. They eventually recommended she sell her supplies on a larger scale. The Sprinkle Depot, a cake supply company of which she is proprietor, was the result.

A custom cake by Biteddie L. Bethel at Addiction bakery.

The Sprinkle Depot started in the pandemic with her mom Ingrid Boyd. They began selling cake supplies out of their living room and a digital platform. When it was time to design the bakery, Bethel said it was important for her to combine both businesses.

At 14 years old, she envisioned her bakery. Over the years, she said she learned that her ultimate purpose isn't just being a pastry chef, but an all-around entrepreneur.

"I want to dabble into everything - real estate, an automotive company, a hedge fund for small businesses, a non-profit organization and more. Being an entrepreneur is important to me, not just to be my own boss, but to change the infrastructure of the Bahamian workplace. I want young boys and girls to look at me and say if she can do it, so can I. I know that someday I will be a self-made millionaire. Even if that day does not come, I will feel just as fulfilled because I made a difference."

While Bethel likes to think of Addiction bakery and The Sprinkle Depot as a "gem" in Fox Hill, she said there are other gems that people should travel to the community to unearth - Nishmars Convenience Store, Kid's Dream Retail and Wholesale Store, The Shrimp Shack, CottonTree Convenience Store, and Twisted Delights among others that make the Fox Hill community so diverse.

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