Paul's Pastry News & Events

Meet some unsung heroes of Mardi Gras 

From Gulf Coast Magazine:

From costumes and balls to king cakes and parades, there’s a lot that goes into a successful Carnival season. The floats and royalty may be front and center, but plenty of hard work occurs before the pageantry. Meet a few of the crucial experts who make Mardi Gras happen behind the scenes.


Sherri Paul Thigpen Owner, Paul’s Pastry Shop

Throughout the year, Paul’s Pastry Shop is a full-service café and wholesale bakery. During Mardi Gras, the Picayune store provides all the essential Carnival sweets, including cookies, assorted desserts and its signature king cakes.

“We also wholesale our king cakes to approximately 40 other retail businesses in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana during the Mardi Gras Season,” says owner Sherri Paul Thigpen.

She notes that Paul’s is known as the “home of the original fruit-and-cream- cheese-filled king cakes,” as it was the first bakery to produce this treat. During Mardi Gras season each year, which starts Jan. 6 and continues to the day before Ash Wednesday, the shop produces 70,000 – 75,000 king cakes.

“We employ two work crews: one night crew that bakes the king cakes and one day crew that finishes and packages,” Thigpen says. “We also ship about 3,500 king cakes to all 50 states.”

Read the full story at https://www.gcwmultimedia.com/unsung-heroes-of-mardi-gras/ or in Gulf Coast Magazine, January 2023, page 24.

Rich king cake tradition rooted in Paul’s Pastry of Picayune 

From magnoliatribune.com:

King Cakes are a staple of the Mardi Gras season. Originally, the king cake was made with a Danish dough and a cinnamon filling, but like many traditions, king cakes evolved to suit all kinds of tastes. 

Many of those tastes evolved thanks to Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune.

“We have the largest selection of king cakes in the United States,” said Sherri Thigpen, owner of Paul’s Pastry Shop. “We’re trademarked as the Home of the Fruit and Cream Cheese Filled King Cakes.”

Read full story at https://magnoliatribune.com/2023/02/16/rich-king-cake-tradition-rooted-in-pauls-pastry-of-picayune/.

One of the Best King Cakes on the Coast 

Sherri Thigpen discusses sweet and savory king cakes available at Paul’s Pastry Shop with Jaimee Dorris, Wesley Williams, and Chet Landry on WLOX Good Morning Mississippi. Also mention of Paul’s Pastry Shop recently being voted most favorite king cake on the coast.

One of the Best King Cakes on the Coast — Paul's Pastry

When you chomp into a king cake baby LIVE on TV…Today we tried one of YOUR favorite king cakes. Sherri Thigpen with Paul's Pastry Shop in Picayune stopped by to show off some of their traditional cakes as well as some of their new options. Meteorologist Wesley Williams Chet Landry WLOX #paulspastry #kingcakebaby

Posted by Jaimee Dorris WLOX on Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Let Paul’s Pastry Do Your Holiday Cooking! 

Order a “Home-Cooked” Holiday Dinner

*** Click here for more info ***

Prices, hours, and meal information for the 2022 holiday season

The Retail Bakers of America 

Paul’s Pastry Shop is a proud member of The Retail Bakers of America, the national association for the retail baking industry. Their mission is to empower as many bakers as possible by sharing knowledge and industry rebates.

Founded in 1918, the Retail Bakers of America (RBA), a 501c6 not-for-profit trade association is committed to the success of the retail baking industry.

We are a baker’s business partner connecting buyers and sellers to build profitable bakeries. Together with our members, we create industry-specific training programs and develop small business programs. We foster the community of retail bakeries providing a forum for exchange of industry and business information, as well as networking, learning opportunities and mentoring among bakers, future and existing. We also create industry standards through professional certification, industry research and school programs.

RBA members bring consumers quality bakery foods from supermarket bakery departments, independent bakeries and foodservice facilities. Baking instructors, students and suppliers of ingredients, equipment, supplies and services are also proud members of RBA. Together, these individuals are redefining the industry – and they are willing to trade ideas through networking, sharing resources and knowledge . In fact, it’s the #1 reason our members join.

This is a great resource for new bakeries or anyone thinking of opening a bakery!

Closed Christmas Day to Jan 2nd, 2023 

Paul’s Pastry Shop will close Christmas day through Monday, January 2nd, 2023.

We will reopen January 3rd, 2023 with fresh Mardi Gras king cakes.

In the Kitchen with Paul’s Pastry 

From WLOX.com:

Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune bakes king cakes year round, but Mardi Gras is when they’re busiest. Here to show off some of their new flavors for 2020 is owner Sherri Paul-Thigpen.

Watch video at https://www.wlox.com/video/2020/01/09/kitchen-with-paul-pastry/.

The busy king cake season now underway at Paul’s Pastry 

From WLOX.com:

It’s officially Mardi Gras season and that means lots of work for bakers at Paul’s Pastry in Picayune. This year the bakery is celebrating its 50th year in business.

Watch video at https://www.wlox.com/video/2020/01/07/busy-king-cake-season-now-underway-paul-pastry/.

Southern Senior Magazine 

Paul’s Pastry was featured in the Summer 2019 edition of WRJW’s Southern Senior Magazine!

Click the image below to read “For Wedding Cakes, Paul’s Pastry Has What it Takes” on page 24.

Visit from Ivy Odom, Southern Living 

Join Ivy Odom, Southern Living test kitchen pro, as she visits Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune, Mississippi, where she learns how to make a delicious homemade king cake.