While people were stuck at home over various lockdowns, with a daily walk often the only time many spent outside, lots of us started baking to pass the time. One Welsh woman, however, has made such a success out of her baking hobby that she's now opening her own bakery.
Rhian Jones, from Cardiff, began baking from her parents' home in the the city during lockdown after being furloughed from her retail job. Wanting to make the most of her time, Rhian started baking, something she says she has always been passionate about.
But what started as a way to pass the time has turned into a huge success for the 24-year-old. Rhian set up bakery firm Elyse Bakes in July 2020 and decided to start an Instagram account for her business. She ended up quitting her retail job after realising that she couldn't work both jobs due to the high demand of orders of cakes and cupcakes.
READ MORE: Ice cream made at Caerphilly parlour from old family recipe is voted the best in the UK
Now, less than two years after setting up her baking business from her parents' house, Rhian is set to open her own bakery. The Green Door Bakery will be officially opening its doors in Cyncoed village next week, serving coffee and sweet treats. Rhian says that it is a "dream" to be opening her own bakery.
"It's really exciting and I'm glad that we've found it," Rhian said of the bakery. "It's in such a lovely area and close to home as well, so I couldn't be happier. I'm really excited.
"I knew long-term that retail probably wasn't going to be my goal but I didn't really know what I was going to do. But after baking and building up a little bit of success with family and friends, I just thought I needed to take the leap and just try and run my small business.
"Everyone's been so amazing - the customers, I've made so many friends through Instagram - it was an opportunity and I just thought, 'I've got to take it' and just hope for the best. It's just gone really well for me."
Rhian said that opening her own bakery has always been an idea she's kept in the back of her mind but wanted to build her business up first. She says she spent the last year looking around for venues to set up the bakery, investing her own money into launching it.
"It's been a long time coming but it's been a lot of hard work. We're finally here," she said. Rhian says she wants to keep the bakery "simple" and to build a community in the area: "I just want to build a really homely, community bakery, just keep it nice and small and simple."
She added: "I'm just hoping it will be able to serve it's purpose - nice food and nice coffee." The bakery will sell homemade goods from Elyse Bakes including fresh cakes, brownies, blondies and 'chocolate bites' which Rhian describes as chocolate shells with brownie in the middle. She also has a bread supplier in Splott who will supply fresh bread, bagels and paninis to the bakery.
"It's more of a bakery vibe than grabbing brunch, but I just want to keep it nice and fresh," she added. Currently, Rhian is living with her parents, who have allowed her to run her business from their kitchen.
"I'm very, very fortunate that they've allowed me to use their kitchen and kit it out to the hygiene standards," she said.
Baking is also something that Rhian has done with her family from a young age. She said: "My grandma loves to bake so I always used to bake with her. She always makes Victoria sponges. I've always had a passion for it, but with working and going through school and everything else at the time, you just see it as a hobby."
But with spare time available during lockdown, along with following YouTube videos and completing different courses, Rhian says she was able to explore her passion further and develop it into the business she has today. What started off as family and friends ordering from the business grew into 'friends of friends' and recommendations from other customers.
Rhian also says that Instagram has been a powerful tool for building her business, allowing her to connect with other bakers and pick up tips. "I'm still learning - each day is different and there are some cakes I might not be able to do or are quite challenging, but in some ways I think that's all part of the learning.
"But it's gone really well and I'm really enjoying it. It's great to meet new people as well and that's why I want to keep it homely. My face is on the Instagram so people know where they're getting their cakes from and especially now being in Cyncoed village I want people to be able to pick stuff up from the store as well so I think it kind of creates an experience."
Rhian said that the support she's received has been "incredible" from both those she knows and those she's never met: "I think it's just a nice thing coming out of it that so many people want to support a small business," she said.
