Buddy's Home Bakery

Buddy's Home Bakery is owned and run by myself, Emma Budd, and my husband Chris Budd. We've been married for just over 18 years and have 5 children.

Chris has been a professional baker for most of his working life, over 30 years, and used to work for Forfars, a local bakery in our area. In his spare time (not that there was very much of that with 5 children!) Chris used to make bread and cakes for family and friends when he was at home and gradually Buddy's Home Bakery was created with the cakes getting very popular. Chris was doing this as well as still having to go to work late at night and returning early the next morning. Forfars moved premises and it wasn't viable for Chris to travel to where they were going to be based so we took the plunge and in 2014 Buddy's Home Bakery became a full time business at home. Forfars then ceased trading so this was a very good decision on our part.

Word got around amongst our family and friends and Chris ended up making anything up to 12 cakes a week, as well as supplying our local farm shop with bread and cakes each day. As Chris was used to baking bread in bulk he was able to do this but it was very difficult in our home kitchen with a domestic oven, even though we had 2! It was hard still having to make the children's dinner and carry on with family life when the kitchen was the work place as well.

We've made several corporate cakes for local businesses and were asked to be the supplier to our local football team, Brighton And Hove Albion for their Young Seagulls Parties. This meant making a large celebration cake, cup cakes, cheese straws and rolls for each party. We deliver all this to the stadium and throughout the year there are lots of parties.

Chris's dream for years has been to have his own bakery and fortunately we had the opportunity to do this. Last year we moved to a shop close to where we live and invested in a proper bread oven. Chris is busy baking the evening before and early the next morning to make sure there's enough bread, buns and cakes for the shop the following day. We've gradually been able to increase our equipment as the busy expands and now have a drinks machine and a hot cabinet for sausage rolls and pies.

It hasn't been easy and sometimes we've felt like giving up as it's such hard work. Luckily we have a very supportive family and my mum and partner help out whenever they can as well as Chris's parents. We wouldn't be able to do it without their help. Chris and I have a very strong marriage and a great relationship which is good as we're at work together all day! It can be hard for our children, 4 of them are late teens/early 20s but we still have an 11 year old so are very mindful to keep Sunday as family day and take our youngest out and spend time with him. The others tend to mostly do their own thing but we still make sure we spend time together whenever we can. A holiday is important too and we try and make time to get away for a week during the year. The youngest still has to be taken to and collected from school so I try and do this whenever I can as this is so important.

As well as the daily bakery produce Chris still makes celebration cakes. As it is only Chris making these we have had to turn orders down and limit ourselves to a certain amount each week as it's impossible to do them all, especially if they're complicated designs. We hate doing this and have urged customers to order cakes well in advance so that they're not disappointed.

We were asked last year to make a cake in the shape of the Amex Stadium for Brighton And Hove Albion to celebration their 5th year at their new stadium. We were overjoyed to be asked to do this and it felt amazing to see a photo of 3 of their players holding the cake. The photo made the local press. We still supply the Young Seagulls Parties and are very proud to support our community and to be a family bakery for our area. Ideally we'd also like to supply local businesses with rolls etc in bulk and have received enquiries but have to keep an eye on our workload with only one pair of hands doing all the baking! We look back to our days in the home kitchen and are so glad to now be able to have a separate home and work life.