Electric Bakery Bude

What more indeed?

This straightforward approach is typical of the artisan bakery in Bude, North Cornwall. With a menu ‘lead by the seasons’, they make everything from scratch, using local produce as much as possible and suppliers who share their values.

“We want to do everything very well, but very simply” explains Alex Bluett, who is one of the four directors at the business.

This has been a clear guiding principle since they launched at the end of 2019. Alex and his fellow directors, Christine Apiou, Ben Harding and Marja Pelto, all share a love of good food and everything that goes with this – from the growing and sourcing of ingredients to the methods they use in the bakery.

‘Time’ is included as an essential part of their bread-making process and they make their own bacon on site, curing 4 kilos each week. Their latest project is the ‘3-mile loaf’, which uses ingredients from within a three-mile radius ‘to show that a smaller food network can work’. Having grown two acres of wheat this year, they now have their own ‘mongrel mix’ of heritage grains to use in the future.

The impact of small businesses in local communities

Keeping things simple goes hand-in-hand with their focus sustainability. They deliberately chose to position the Electric Bakery as a ‘local-led business, rather than a tourist-led business’, as they wanted to develop something that was part of the community, with a consistent presence all year round.

Of course, they couldn’t have foreseen just how important our communities would have become during 2020.

Originally a café, with the bakery on the side, the Covid-19 pandemic hit a couple of months after the Electric Bakery opened, calling for a change of strategy. “We pivoted to a wholesale set up providing bread for other retailers, as well as offering a takeaway service”, says Alex.

While they had intended to expand the bakery over time, the pandemic accelerated their plans. “It’s certainly been a good test!” Alex laughs. “The business has been shaped to a certain extent by the pandemic – where we are now after two years is where we thought we’d be in five years.”

Situated on the edge of Bude, on the site of the old Western Power Distribution Centre (which provided the inspiration for their name), word of mouth has seen their customer base grow despite the challenges of lockdowns.

With their takeaway service and Saturday lunch special proving popular, Alex notes the role local businesses like the Electric Bakery can play in communities, providing opportunities to connect with others: “One of our regulars said to us recently that we’re not just a business – we’re a community service.”

Creating a strong support team

There is a sense that this is exactly the sort of business that Alex and his fellow directors want the Electric Bakery to be.

As they have grown, finding the right people to join them for the long term has been a priority, and they want them to feel like they are part of something. “It’s important to invest in your people as they bring their best for your business,” says Alex.

They now have seven members of staff in total, covering the baking, pastry-making, cooking and front of house. They socialise together in the evenings which, perhaps unsurprisingly, often involves food: “It almost feels like we are building a family, rather than just a team.”

They enlisted the help of Simpkins Edwards as advisors early on, after receiving a letter from the firm about their accountancy services. “I’m a strong believer in paying people who know what they are doing, as it makes you more efficient,” says Alex.

He did some research and spoke to James Welton, a partner at the Barnstaple office, to check that Simpkins Edwards were in sync with what they wanted to achieve.

“They have been fantastic at looking after us,” he says. “We do a lot of the day to day stuff and Simpkins Edwards has been really good at training us up to manage our finances well, so that we can work in the most efficient way.”

As the relationship has developed, he’s come to see Simpkins Edwards as a real part of their business. “They’ve got your back if you need it,” he says. “It’s always good to know that James is at the end of the phone.”

This has been important as their needs have changed. Simpkins Edwards has helped them to navigate the transition from start-up to established business, including the demands of VAT registration and an increase in staff levels. Alex has particularly appreciated the reassurance and accountability that Simpkins Edwards offers, seeing this as a ‘safety net’ for the business.

“As we’ve grown, they’ve been there to support us,” he says. “Any lack of knowledge in accountancy, they’ve been there to fill those gaps. They know how to do everything properly!”

As with the Electrics Bakery recipe for the perfect pastry – what more could you need?!