In the beginning of 2020, Taurus Tabb bought his first air fryer.
Thanks to that air fryer, Tabb and a little cartoon duck sporting a chef’s hat and apron have taken over the city, taking us on a flavorful journey one banana bread at a time.
Tabb is the mastermind behind Ducky’s Pineapple Banana Bread, a specialty banana bread shop that offers flavors you have never seen before, putting a whole new twist on a classic recipe.
Like so many others, Tabb picked up baking as a hobby during the pandemic. While he had baked before, he started to take things more seriously when he got that first air fryer. That’s when he started making his famous banana bread.
After working from home for a while, Tabb, who worked at Merrill Lynch, was called back into the office again. But Tabb didn’t go back — he decided to quit and pursue baking full-time.
Wanting to bring something different to the table, Tabb chose to specialize in banana bread, specifically air-fried banana bread. When using an air fryer, the recipe calls for a lot less ingredients and can be seen as a healthy alternative, Tabb said.
Using an air fryer also allows Tabb to achieve the texture his breads are known for: crispy on the outside, but moist and tender on the inside.
“First, when I started out, I made it [the recipe] up,” Tabb said. “Then I did a little trial run to see if anybody wanted to buy it. I sold it to a couple friends and they loved it. Two years later, here we are.”
He had the product ready, but now he needed a name.
Tabb, who was once a producer, also already had the duck design. He reached out to the graphic designer who originally created the duck and added the chef’s hat and apron.
Ducky was also the nickname of his late mother. It was truly meant to be.
When it comes to the business, Tabb does it all himself, from the baking to the packaging — not to mention he is constantly doing markets in both Phoenix and Tucson.
Pineapple, strawberry, blueberry lemon and coffee are just a few of the banana bread flavors that Ducky’s offers.
In order to keep up with demand, Tabb bakes at least three days of the week. He currently has six air fryers so he can bake 12 breads at a time and typically brings no less than 20 loaves and 60-70 slices to markets.
Sometimes, Tabb is even up at two in the morning crafting his mouthwatering breads.
Tabb’s flavors and inclusive menu are what keep customers coming back for more. Strawberry banana, pineapple banana, Mexican chocolate banana, lemon blueberry banana, coffee banana and pumpkin spice banana are just a few of the many flavors Tabb comes up with.
“I've come across a lot of people who are allergic to pineapple, so that's when we started branching off to different flavors,” Tabb said. “I got inspiration from doing different flavors because my friend owns an ice cream shop in Arkansas and he comes up with the craziest flavors. I kind of just piggybacked off his idea and started just messing around with breads.”
Ducky’s is even introducing two new flavors next month, one based off a popular Valentine’s Day treat and the other involves a popular sandwich cookie. Tabb makes it his mission to stand outside the box and offer something you can’t find anywhere else.
Ducky's also has a vegan and gluten-free menu.
Not only does Ducky’s experiment with flavors, but they also have a vegan and gluten-free menu so everyone can try their unique air-fried recipe.
When making the treats, Tabb said bananas are the key to baking a perfect banana bread. You can’t just use any banana that’s laying around the kitchen; they have to be perfectly ripe. In fact, they have to be so ripe that the whole peel needs to be almost black, Tabb said.
Since it’s hard to find-already ripe bananas, Tabb has to buy bananas in bulk a week in advance, storing them in the pantry until they are the perfect shade of dark brown.
With waiting for bananas to ripen, baking multiple loaves of bread, handling the business side and attending at least 12 events each month, Tabb has a lot on his plate, but he’s not stopping anytime soon.
In the future, Tabb aims to eventually open a storefront in Tucson where you can satisfy all your banana bread needs. While he works on that, you’ll continue to see the cutest cartoon duck selling banana bread like you’ve never seen before.
“It's a completely new experience and a completely new dessert,” Tabb said. “I guarantee nine times out of 10 you've never had an air-fryer dessert. Whenever I mentioned that it's air-fried, everybody's eyes light up.”
Visit Ducky's Pineapple Banana Bread's website to order a loaf or check their Instagram to see where they'll be popping up next.
