Q: Where do we start?

2024 - big changes, but are we ready for it?

I know I know. It’s March. We’re two or so months late (sigh) posting on here.
So, I think it’s helpful to manage expectations before I continue to ramble.

I’m terrible at this! Truly. Particularly right now as our time is more stretched than ever. Not only are we about to expand our little bakery business, but there are also a few other big life changes that have been thrown into the mix. It’ll settle, but this is my apology that it’s taken so long to post! If you’ve made it this far and can spare reading for a further 3 minutes, it’s about to get juicy. Well kinda.

2023 was wild and wonderful. Our little bakery grew bigger than we ever could have dreamed of. We ended last year exhausted but grateful. And pretty blown away.

After starting the ‘business’ in our flat in 2020 after Tom closed his pop up restaurant, it’s been non-stop. Since taking it from home to the high street - opening our little red shop in 2021 - we’ve had our foot permanently on the gas; developing our menu, increasing our output, honing our skills, baking continuously, learning all the time, making mistakes and pushing our little place to its absolute limit. Importantly to us, we’ve been growing lean and organically, putting any money made straight back into the business in every way. All with the most incredible team making it possible. They are truly the best people we could have ever wished to build this business with.

We’d always dreamed of starting a business and being able to offer employment opportunities. Two years later it started to sink in that we were actually doing it - sounds silly maybe, but it started to feel very real. It’s amazing what you miss when you spend 90% of your time with your head down? Which we quite literally do.

With me still working my full time job and Tom and the team trying to keep up with everything day-to-day at the bakery (which sometimes feels like a runaway train) we knew if we were going to be able keep going, we needed to do things differently.

Photo by Yuki Sugiura

Towards the end of 2023, our amazing shop neighbour - Dan - offered us his space to lease, giving us the opportunity to be able to expand. We knew we needed to, had felt beyond scared about doing it, but also knew we couldn’t pass it up. Could this be the thing to help us grow? Make things easier?

December 2023 we Crowdfunded. We hit our target in 2 weeks…..And that was that. The most amazing community got behind us and gave us the confidence to move forward. It still feels scary, and impossible. But sometimes, that’s a good thing right?

Now it’s March 2024.

The last two months have seen us move out of our beloved little flat in Croydon, start works at 116 Anerley Rd (the new space) and sofa-hop between friends and family until our new flat is ready. It’s never fun living out of a bag, but it’s been special spending time with people we love (which we don’t get enough of). A public shout out to those who’ve been letting us stay with them, feeding us dinner and generally looking after us when we’re on the floor (literally and figuratively). We couldn’t have got through this bit without your help. It’s been (and still is) a lot. Deep breaths….

We’re going to sign our lease today - for real. So it felt right to post. I promise to get better at this stuff. And to share more of Tom’s recipes.

Sian