Advice on starting a Made to Order Bakery.

[SkyRobo1]

Hello everyone,

I’d like to ask for your advice and opinions on starting a made-to-order bakery business from my home, with a focus on Filipino pastries.

Recently, I baked a Filipino pastry because I missed the taste of home. I shared it at work, and to my surprise, everyone loved it. Encouraged by this, I made more and sold them the following week. I wasn’t expecting any buyers, but to my surprise, I sold out the 24 pieces I had made! People even started asking if I was going to make more because they wanted to reorder. One customer even placed an order for 48 pieces for Christmas since the pastry I made is a popular holiday treat in the Philippines.

This got me thinking—what if I turned this into a side business? Instead of aiming to open a brick-and-mortar bakery, I plan to run a made-to-order business. For small orders, I’ll bake in my home kitchen, and for larger orders, I’ll rent a ghost kitchen.
Since I work full-time, my business schedule would look like this:

• Wednesday to Monday: I take orders, either through Messenger or in person.
• Tuesday: I bake the pastries.
• Wednesday: I deliver the pastries, either by meeting at a central point or delivering to customers' homes.

In the next month or two, I plan to register as a sole trader and reserve my business name with Companies House, in case I decide to transition to an LTD company in the future. I also plan to create a website and a Facebook page to reach more customers in my area and expand through online marketing. I’m also considering selling at local farmers' markets.

My goal is to introduce Filipino pastries, not only to fellow Filipinos who miss the flavors of home but also to the general public, to promote these unique treats.

What do you think? Do you have any advice or suggestions for improvement?

 

[fisicx]

Sounds like a great plan. Check with your local council about food hygiene standards and inspections of your kitchen. You will need insurance and some marketing but overall a simple business to set up and run.

As well as the website, a Google Business Profile is free and a useful source of leads.

 

[fantheflames]

I think you're starting off on the right foot. There's no need to start as a limited company with a made-to-order business like this, at least not in the beginning! As mentioned, set up your Google Business Profile (GBP) as soon as you can, it can take a couple of weeks to get live sometimes.

As someone who's tried Filipino pastries in the past and interested in trying new flavours, make sure your content on Facebook targets those who are either:

1) From Philippines
2) Has visited Philippines and tried pastries before
3) Those who have never tried but interested in trying new delicacies

Local Facebook groups are essential to join in my view, where you can connect with the local community and advertise (make sure to read the group's rules before posting).

I'd look into packaging options that can help you brand your pastries and make them gift-worthy.

And perhaps setting up a loyalty programme, as you're meeting the customer in-person, you can offer a punch card system that can encourage repeat customers and word-of-mouth.

 

[Mark T Jones]

As above, legally you need to look at food hygiene, labelling and allergens.

Start as a sole trader - you can incorporate later

You are probability that social media - local groups is the way to go. Facebook community groups, Nextdoor etc.

You need to think about insurance- @Frank the Insurance guy can guide you.

 

[SkyRobo1]

Will I be able to use the comissary or ghost kitchen that I will be renting as my main base of operation?

Especially in-regards to someone popping in to check the state of everything.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Will I be able to use the comissary or ghost kitchen that I will be renting as my main base of operation?

Especially in-regards to someone popping in to check the state of everything.

You can, but you still have to ensure it's compliant

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

You need to think about insurance- @Frank the Insurance guy can guide you.

You will need Products Liability cover, for the products you sell. You will need Public Liability cover in case you cause any damage to your ghost kitchen.

Speak to an independent insurance broker - they will spend time to get full details of your new venture and can carry out a quotation exercise for you.

Note - Insurers will expect you to comply with al relevant food regulations, including full ingredient lists/allergies etc.

 

[ecommerce84]

Will I be able to use the comissary or ghost kitchen that I will be renting as my main base of operation?

Especially in-regards to someone popping in to check the state of everything.

There is a good chance that they will want to check both, your best bet is to call them and ask. The people you need to speak to is the Environmental Health at your local council.

Do you already have a ghost kitchen lined up? They are likely already aware of it if other businesses are operating from there. A home kitchen is likely to cause them more concern than a fully fitted out commercial operation. Especially as the ghost kitchen operator will have requirements that you leave the kitchen spotless after you use it as well as other processes you’ll have to follow.

What they’ll mainly be looking for is your processes and how you keep food safe from cross contamination, pest infestation and how you store it and serve it at correct temperatures. And how you document these processes. They’ll also be looking at how you communicate allergens to your customers - if you’re advertising a specific product on Facebook for example, you should include the allergens in the post. These should be repeated in the packaging with the order.

You’ll need a Food Management Plan, which is a document that outlines all your processes and contains a diary and check sheets of when and how you do things.

Handily the Food Standards Agency produce an easy to follow Food Management Plan that walks you through each step so that you cover everything that you need to. This is called Safer Food Better Business and can be found here as a download: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers

You can also find them available to purchase on eBay as a printed out and binded diary for a reasonable cost.

Good luck - it’s hard work but if you enjoy it, it won’t feel as hard and seeing people enjoying your food is a great feeling!

 

[AJames-Design]

Hey @SkyRobo1 did you make any more steps towards this idea?
It sounds like one of those great organically conjured business ideas.

I once created a brand from the ground up for a lovely couple, for a bake-to-door bread delivery business. It was really fun!