Founder
“I grew up on a small holding and Mum always had a cake coming out of the Aga, using fresh eggs from our hens and fruit from the garden, whilst Dad was an entrepreneur, so baking and business is in my blood.
My first daughter was born about the same time as Pinterest, and I used my time at home to whip up some Pinterest inspired recipes (there were a few fails too, of course!) and from there the seeds for the company were sown.
We began as a very small, hobby business, selling a few cakes and biscuits online – baking and icing whist the babies were in bed or playing on the kitchen floor. In our second year, we sold Halloween and Christmas collections into Selfridges, and with my second daughter only a few weeks old, that was quite a feat.
In 2016 we moved to a full time bakery and took the big step of hiring an employee. In 2018 a passing conversation led to us buying a successful baking subscription company, which we’ve integrated into the business and added an artisan twist to.
We have grown to a full team of amazing, creative women, with the equipment and space needed to fulfil large orders for some of the biggest companies in the world.”
Favourite Job: Designing new products
Hidden Talent Speaking Mandarin Chinese
Operations Manager
Alex joined during a busy Christmas as a Gift Wrap Elf and was so efficient there was no way we could let her leave again.
A strategic planner, Alex keeps us all organised and on track. She’s in charge of Operations and People – Alex instigated the daily walk that we now all love, and really enjoys building up the team.
Always cheerful and very stoic, Alex likes to get the job done, but never says no to a cup of tea!
Favourite Job: Gift Wrap of course
Hidden Talent: Speaks English, French and German – sometimes all jumbled up (especially after a Gin and Tonic!)
Biscuit Bakery Manager
(Currently on maternity leave)
The moment we met Lucy we knew she would be a great fit for the team, and we were right! After a few short weeks it felt like she’d been here forever.
Lucy is cheerful, fun, and always goes the extra mile. She is often first to arrive and last to leave, always making sure that everything is correct before going home.
At the weekends Lucy is often off to glamorous events, and always needs a new pair of shoes. If not in high heels, Lucy can often be found walking her dog in Joules wellies.
Favourite Job: Organising everything!
Hidden Talent: A whizz on the ski slope
Subscriptions and Baking Kit Manager
Kayley is creative, artistic and exudes an aura of calm even when things are manically busy.
Kayley is responsible for the baking subscriptions and kits, so she is the one you’ll find testing all the recipes. Her recipes never, sorry, we mean always, work first time, and we insist on tasting them too, of course.
Kayley lives on a narrow boat with her rabbit, and we are all jealous of how cosy it looks. If she’s not on her houseboat, she’ll be on her allotment growing weird and wonderful vegetables.
Favourite Job: Being chief development chef and top taster
Hidden Talent: Painting beautiful pet portraits
Head Baker
Lesley is a complete whizz when it comes to making dough, and is always very cheerful after a cuppa. She amazes us all – how she bakes so many perfect biscuits in a day can only be magic!
Soon after walking into the bakery, Lesley has whipped up delicious batches of dough, and soon has the neatest biscuits coming out of the oven, perfectly baked and smelling amazing.
Lesley’s secret talent is always knowing someone you know, somehow. It’s like a sixth sense.
Favourite Job: Making dough of course
Hidden Talent: Bell ringing!
Head Biscuit Artist
A fine artist and keen cake maker and decorator, Abby is a perfect fit to our team here at Honeywell Bakes.
Abby has had some very funny requests for cake designs over the years, all baked from her home kitchen. Out of work Abby likes to relax and take some time out from baking and is a fan of going on the Park Run at the weekend.
Favourite Job: Piping bespoke biscuits.
Fun Fact: Abby has a cat called Muesli and wants a rabbit called Porridge. There’s a strong breakfast theme going on here!
Biscuit Product Designer
The first time we met Angela we realised she’d designed my children’s favourite PJs, which almost matched our Animal Doughnut Gift Set, so we knew we’d get on perfectly!
Angela is a fantastic designer and illustrator, working for well known brands as a garment designer, and for us in a much more exciting medium: icing!
A few years ago, Angela gave up her day job to backpack around the world, before coming back and buying an old house in need of some serious TLC.
In her free time, Angela is usually busy renovating her Victorian house or walking the dog whilst dreaming up new designs.
Favourite Job: Designing new and wonderful biscuit collections
Hidden Talent: DIY
Baking Kit Co-Ordinator
Holly is on the Subscriptions and Kits team, and is very quick and efficient. After being on the team two weeks, it seemed like she’d been here forever.
Holly lives really close by, and enjoys walking her cockapoo Marlow in the countryside. She is also often found at the gym (getting fit so she can lift the sacks of flour for the kits!).
Favourite Job: Seeing the finished baking boxes all packed up and ready to go
Fun Fact: Holly is fantastic at archery!
Environment and Sustainability Agent
We are on a mission to become socially and environmentally conscious, and Laura joined us to help with this.
Her goal is two-fold; help us on our journey to becoming a B-Corp (update, she totally smashed it as we’re now offically a B Corp business!), and make sure we make all the changes we can to ensure we leave a positive mark on the planet, whilst being inclusive and socially conscious.
This involves everything from composting egg shells to checking our financial transparency.
Laura is hoping to move to Wales to start a small-holding in the future, with her husband, three children, two dogs, four guinea pigs and cat. The cat is called Potato. That’s what happens when a 6 year old is in charge of naming an animal.
Packaging Assistant
Stacey is the most cheerful and happy person we have ever met and is absolutely brilliant to be around.
Always smiling, not only is Stacey wonderful at her job, she also has a flair for interior design and is busily finishing off her kitchen and sitting room as part of a renovation project.
At home, Stacey has a cat called Theodore and she and her husband, Ed, like travelling. They have been to many places including Bail, Santorini and Rome so far.
Subscriptions Co-Ordinator
Jane is in charge of packing and sending the monthly baking kits, and is just about the most organised person we have ever encountered (apart from Gemma, who is her equal!)..
Methodical and good fun, Jane is possibly Superwoman!
Outside of work, Jane lives on a farm and is a proud mum of three. Jane has a keen interest in food, often putting on events and catering for them. Her friends would describe her as the ‘party and holiday planner’! We’ll look out for the invite…
Marketing coordinator
Gemma is wonderfully organised, loves a spreadsheet, and is a perfect addition to our marketing team!
When not at work, Gemma might be found playing with her son, or growing an assortment of veg in her garden-turned-allotment.
Gemma is also brilliant at hand lettering and ‘doodling’, and has made sure our marketing materials are all beautiful. She always has a collection of pens to steal.
Biscuit Artist
Fay joined us during a very busy Christmas, and is now a permenant Biscuit Artist, although she sometimes gets involves with baking too.
Fay has a background in catering but also has worked at a vets, as she loves animals. At home in the countryside, she has two pet rabbits, Olive and Mr Tim.
Fay loves to bake and her signature bake would be Cinnamon buns (we have yet to try them Fay – and that is a hint!).
Having recently started running, Fay hopes to keep it up after lockdown ends.
Biscuit Artist
Arriving mid-lockdown, Cheryl has swapped some of her week from home-life to biscuit-life and has never been happier!
Married to an Italian with a passion for cooking, Cheryl has never been to Italy and is therefore not qualified to touch the pizza when he makes it (but luckily is allowed to eat it).
At home, Cheryl has a dog called Maverick, inspired by Top Gun (and it was almost her son’s name too). Cheryl is great at gardening and making things, and brings a sense of fun to the imaginary ‘girl band’ in the bakery.
Packaging Assistant
Tegan is our Biscuit Packaging Assistant, and coming from a print mail order position in her old company, she has hit the ground running!
Outside of work, Tegan is a keen skier and has been skiing in Austria since she was small with her Grandparents.
Tegan likes running too and runs the paths near to her new house.
Baker
Behind every small business, especially in the early days, is a whole team cheering them on. We started in my kitchen, and my children have grown up surrounded by biscuits. My husband put up with his fridge being full of ingredients, and my parents didn’t blink an eye at the dining room being full of packaging boxes.
One of the main bonuses of being the eldest of seven siblings, is having a whole host of talent to call upon at all hours of the day. Something has to balance having to split inheritance 7 ways.
Our band of experts:
Models (My Children, Husband, Mum and Nephews)
Social Media Expert (Sister number 4)
Chief Finance Director (Dad)
Maternity Leave Biscuit Icer (Sister number 5)
Christmas Temps (EVERYONE)
Business Partner in the beginning (Sister number 3)
Midnight Kitchen Assistant (Mum)
All Night Icer (Husband)
Cleaner – in the early days (Biscuit the Dog)
Recipe Development (Isabella, Jessica and Edward)
