Where are you from and what did you want to be when you left school?
I have always moved about a lot. I was born on the Wirral and when I was 11 we moved to a small village in North Wales. By the time I was 15 we had moved to London where I lived most of my life before moving to Cumbria four years ago.
When I left school I always wanted to be an artist and my degree was in mixed mediums, specialising in ceramics. Creating has always been a passion for me.
What inspired you to start your food journey?
My partner Rick is a chef and I have always enjoyed cooking, especially together. He found our bakery for sale online and we just went to have a look. We took the train from London, viewed the bakery and headed straight back. I wasn’t expecting to actually buy it, but as soon as we saw it we both fell in love with it.
How did you start your business?
I always had a really clear vision of what I wanted Saddlers to be. It was a bakery before I bought it and I wanted that to continue. I also wanted it to be a warm, friendly place where people could come and chat, relax and enjoy good food. Everything we sell in the bakery is made here from scratch. We bake the bread, make all our own pies, pastries and cakes. Where possible we use organic, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Having such a clear vision has helped us with every decision we have had to make.
What is your favourite dish to eat?
My favourite dish has got to be Rick’s Tom Yum soup. Rick grinds all his spices in a huge molcajete which just gives the best, freshest flavours.
What is the most popular dish on your menu?
It’s a difficult choice but I would have to say our steak and ale pie served with handcut chips and home-made gravy is definitely a firm favourite, followed closely by our Bakewell tart.
How would you describe your role in the business?
I have many roles within the business. I work on the counter and love to meet and chat to all our customers. I also serve and wait on, as well as cleaning and washing up. I bake all the sweet things we sell and since lockdown I have started making celebration cakes to order. To date, I have made over 200 cakes. This is something I really enjoy as it gives me the opportunity to be really creative.
What do you like most about running a food business in this part of Cumbria? Alston is a wonderful place to live and work. There is a great community here and people are so friendly and we have made some great friends. It is beautiful here and every morning I put my sign out I feel lucky to live here.
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
Starting my own business has been a huge learning curve and I’m still learning every day. I’m looking forward to another busy summer and meeting lots of new people. I’m also very excited about Rick’s sourdough which he has recently started baking and is a great addition to our other breads.
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