Tide’s £2,000 boost for Bitesize Bakehouse

Back in January, we teamed up with Muddy Stilettos to offer one of their readers a £2,000 boost to their small business. The winner of our competition was Jade Boswell, owner of Bitesize Bakehouse in Cambridgeshire.

As the coronavirus outbreak was starting to paralyse small businesses, we were delighted to tell Jade she was the winner of our £2,000 boost.

Meet our competition winner

“This couldn’t have come at a better time for Bitesize Bakehouse,” said Jade from her kitchen in Cambridgeshire.

We asked her how the coronavirus outbreak was affecting her business and what she’d had to change.

“I’ve had to pivot the business – it’s an exceptionally uncertain time for small businesses as a whole, and I wasn’t sure how best to navigate it.

“My online shop had to go live before it (or I!) was ready. It is now my main source of income whereas just weeks ago, this was more evenly split between the wedding market, wholesale and individual orders sent by post.

“I’m still taking each day as it comes and keeping up-to-date with the latest Government advice. For example, in the short-term, I’ve already switched to a contact-free courier and shifted my business to entirely by post.

Thinking ahead to when the worst of the coronavirus crisis is over, what will Jade do?

“Longer term, I’d love to shift my focus and income stream towards the confectionery items I offer and create a strong seasonal range. I love creating new flavours in the kitchen – this is where I’m most happy!

“As Bitesize Bakehouse matures, I plan to bed down the offering in each product range. I already think this is starting to happen but there’s still so much more to learn.”

We asked Jade how she’d spend her prize-winnings…

“I haven’t allocated all of the money yet but I plan to bolster the hand-tempered chocolate and gourmet marshmallows side of my business. And drive more traffic to my online shop, which is relatively new.

“This will include investing in some new equipment to enable me to make more, but also working with other local businesses to make use of their expertise.

“I’ll also use the money to bulk-buy ingredients and environmentally-friendly packaging. Bulk-buying is more cost-effective but as a small business, it’s been difficult to fund this so far. I have plans for the money to go a long way! I started Bitesize Bakehouse on my own, with no outside funding, so I’m used to being as efficient as possible with money.

To enter the competition, Muddy Stilettos readers opened a Tide account – so Jade is one our newest members.

“My favourite Tide feature is it’s so easy to use – it’s easy to navigate around the app. I can log in at a touch of a button and see exactly where my business is, financially, straight away.

“I also love that Tide categorises payments so that I can see where my spend is going in real time! It’s fab.” 

We at Tide wish Jade the best of luck as she continues developing and growing her business during the coronavirus crisis. And when we’re able to move back into our office in London, we know where we’ll be ordering brownies to celebrate.

About Bitesize Bakehouse

Jade Boswell is the founder and owner of Bitesize Bakehouse, a 5* hygiene-rated, fully insured home bakery in Cambridgeshire.

As well as a range of brownies and sweet treats delivered by post, the Bakehouse delivers wedding cakes, dessert bars and grazing tables to events in Cambridgeshire or Essex.

To find out more and see what’s available, take a look at the Bitesize Bakery website. (Warning: site contains irresistible confectionery…)

About Muddy Stilettos

Muddy Stilettos is the ‘urban guide to the countryside’ for smart women. The site offers an insider’s guide to the best shops, hotels, things to do and more outside London.

Established in November 2012, Muddy Stilettos currently covers 24 counties of the UK.

To find out if Muddy Stilettos is available in your area and view reviews and articles, visit the website and select your county.

Photos by Bitesize Bakehouse