Natasha Williams is one of our dedicated clients who has spent a lot of hours attending our business courses and having sessions with our Senior Business Advisor Maria Stammers in order to start and grow her own business. What did she say about her business journey?
What’s your background?
“My background is in fashion footwear and I have two BA (Hons) one in fashion accessories and the other in footwear.”
However, her passion was something else; Baking!
Why did you start a different business than your studies and how did you start?
“I have baked from a young age as my grandmother and mother taught me how to bake and I was always told that I should start it up as a business. My grandmother passed away in 2015 and that is how Sweet Doris got it’s name and came about.”
Buns? How did you come up with this business idea?
“We started off with the idea of cookies and milk but realised that there was a lot of businesses out there with the same idea. I then moved on to the idea of small handmade savoury and sweet pies but the pastry wasn’t my friend.
I did not want to go down the typical cupcake/doughnut road and that is when we came up with cinnamon buns but in all different flavours.”
We know that your buns are not just cinnamon buns…
“We make cinnamon buns but with a twist as they come in an array of different flavours for example: Caramel pecan, Lemon Meringue, Apple cinnamon, Lemon Raspberry, Mini cinnamon bun kebabs, Lotus Biscoff are to name a few.”
Is your passion baking buns:
“My passion is baking, I love everything about it!”
What inspires you to do what you do:
“When we sold our first bun and the feedback we received was out of this world! The first thing we always get asked is where are we based so they can always have access to them.”
What is your next steps?
“We have so many more ideas for the buns! Flavours, products etc which we will implement over the next few months and years.
Our next steps are to get our online ordering system sorted, it is proving a bit of a task as the buns are freshly baked and that is how we want our customers to receive them. And we also want to get a base where our customers can come and buy our buns frequently not just when we are doing the markets, events and supplying the shops that we do.”
How is your journey so far:
“Our journey so far has been a fast growth within our first year we sold at various food markets done pop up shops and have had the buns placed in an independent supermarket chain and cafes.
We also have done several big events for example The London dessert festival, eat drink festival, foodies festival and a lot more.”
What is your business dream?
“Our business dream is to have sweet Doris in several outlets, to have our own stand alone store and develop into a well known brand.”
How do you define success:
“Being successful to me is feeling comfortable and satisfied that you have done a good job. Being able to supply jobs and having a great team behind you, setting goals and actually being able to smash them is a wonderful feeling.”
How PBC helped you?
“PBC has been there even before I wondered into the food industry, but they helped me with sweet Doris from the very start.
I attended their amazing food course. The amount of support and information that we received was second to none!
The advice, contacts and information that has been given by Maria alone I have used until this day.
Going to the office being given tasks, getting critiques helped me all the way! Most of the group that attended the food course all keep in contact with each other which is helpful as we are all at different stages so we can help one another.”
Would you recommend PBC?
“I have and always will recommend PBC! I don’t actually live in RBKC but I travel all the way from north London because of the amount of support given is on another level.”
Wish you all the best Natasha for your yummy business!
Instagram: @sweetdorisuk Facebook: Sweet Doris Twitter: @sweetDoris_uk