My partner came home from work one morning, telling me all the flights were being cancelled and the airport was like a ghost town. We’d better get a load of masks and gloves before they sell out.
Here we are a year and 3 lockdowns later, with the economy likely to take a turn for the worst opening a new business. Crazy eh? We’d considered a unit, or going for broke with loans and all, and opening a full retail unit. We decided to play it safe and go for a delivery only business.
I’ve worked in the Food Service industry for over 15 years, managing, training, audits, paperwork, stock, hiring and firing, dealing with the scary chaps form Food Standards. You name it, in this industry I’ve done it. Everything form national chains in London, to small family concerns, bars restaurants and the like.
My partner has constructed kitchens for some great names, you’ll recognise. Fortnum and Mason, Compass Group, Pret-A-Manger and more. He’s worked with Harrods, Itsu, Yo! Sushi, Spoons, Ramsey, again, you name it in the high end chain restaurant business, he’s been there, constructing, fault finding and being an overly technical boots and braces pain in the butt.
So we live in Southsea. My other half’s family has been here for at least 4 generations now. We met at a gig. I hail from Bishop’s Waltham. We Fell in love and now have 3 wonderful children and their 4 guinea pigs.
We’ve meant to do this for some time now, planning, not quite getting there, research, not quite getting there, back to planning again. So it went, for at least 5 years I’d say.
Lockdown came and boom, there it is. The time we needed. Heads down and let’s get this off the ground.
I’ve a degree in, and a love for Fashion, art, design and all things cake related. I’m not a bad Baker too.
He’s into colours, art, history, food, loves to take a picture, anything technical. Always there to critique. And we both share a love of the outdoors. We are always in the countryside, any weather, any time of year, any excuse. Big gardening fans. Big food fans.
Put it all together and you have a business.
So..Southsea. We love Southsea. Baking, we’ll definitely be doing that. We need a name..
Southsea Baked!, that’s it!
Southsea Baked. Here at our little bakery we are going to attempt to build a business based on the premise that everything from the supply chain to the final product should be sustainably sourced, very high quality, innovative and have that inbuilt little extra, things sometimes seem to miss nowadays. Maybe it’s from my days in the restaurant trade. Nothing get off the pass unless its as good as we can make it.
We’ve found some awesome suppliers, from family run purveyors of fine edible flowers, down Dorset way to big name European Chocolate Merchants, with the scope and scale to be able to track their product globally right back to source. We are very much looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish with other local businesses. Localise your supply chains.
We are very much looking forward to seeing if our own ethical, conscientious standards can be translated into a cost-effective business model in the long term. You know, really apply that ‘why on earth don’t company x just’ kind of thinking to our own shop? Put our money where our mouth is, kind of business.
We’ve spent a very long time developing our own recipes. Fingers crossed, we’ll have a book out later. Head over to our site, sign up for the Mailing List if you’re interested. It’s all the details that take the time. It won’t get around to being printed unless its just so.
We don’t want to say too much about the products. Have a look at the pictures here. Head on over to our site. Have look at the pictures there. We hope they are to your liking. We’ve worked hard on them, as we do with everything and we’re getting better all the time. Would be nice to have some new photography kit later on. A new key light would come in handy.
We hope the descriptions are accurate enough to tempt you in and do not disappointed. We relish the chance for feedback. No improvement without it. We hope to bring you something to talk about, something to taste, something good to read every now and then. We’ll have some kind of blog up soon.
It’s mainly about the cakes though. We genuinely hope they bring you a little something. Pleasure I suppose? I’d like to think that.
**Southsea Baked! Are open for orders via their website 24/7.
They currently deliver Tuesdays and Fridays, 5.30pm to 8.30pm to Post Codes PO1, PO2, PO3, PO4, PO5.
They are working on expanding this delivery offering. Sign up to the mailing list on the website to be notified
They regularly produce Limited Edition Products, sourcing seasonal ingredients. These are strictly limited in quantity. Sign up to their mailing list on their site to be notified when they’re available. They sell out fast.
Website: SouthseaBaked.co.uk
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Posted in: Articles, Business, Food & Drink