When I started Bricknell Bakehouse, mail order sourdough was the best way to share my bread with people beyond our little corner of Notts. Each week brought new orders, new customers and the satisfaction of sending freshly baked loaves out nationwide.
But as Bricknell Bakehouse grew, so did the demands of producing everything from our domestic kitchen. The long hours, the planning, the baking, the packaging and the trips to the post office became increasingly difficult to sustain.
Then came the locals.
There was something quite different about opening up, putting out the bread and meeting the people who had come especially. Seeing customers arrive, chatting about sourdough and watching the loaves disappear was a reminder of why I started this.
One of our pop-ups saw 40 loaves sell out in just two hours. Later, we reached the incredible milestone of selling 100 loaves and 100 cookies in under two hours. We’ve just done our 6th pop up.
Moving towards local pop-ups gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the joy of baking and to rethink what a sustainable future for the business might look like.
There are decisions yet to be made. But one thing remains the same: the love of good bread and the people who love it.
Crusty but good.
Summer pop ups in the holidays.
Our new winter set up.
