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Tell us all about Ruffles...
It started when my friend of nearly 30 years showed me the most beautiful building she was planning to turn into a luxury health and beauty spot. She had a vision of serving in-house barista coffee and homemade macarons to clients. So, with no previous intentions of opening a café, the idea of a beautiful pink spot in the most stunning building was too much of an opportunity to miss. I had recently converted a separate kitchen in my home for my business, The Enchanted Pantry, so I was all set to increase capacity. We only had three months from saying ‘yes’ to the space, to opening, so Mum and my step-dad Rob were bought on board to help. A lot of hard work and late-night planning followed, but we are over the moon with how Ruffles has come together. One of the most-wonderful things about Ruffles is the array of cakes and treats on offer. Do you have a background in cooking? I’ve always been more of a baker than a cook. I have fond childhood memories of making marzipan fruits with my Nan as she baked the family Christmas cake. The Enchanted Pantry came about years ago while I was working in management at the Disney Store. I started watching Cake Boss and would make cupcakes and small bakes for work colleagues. I then had a few attempts at some rather elaborate birthday cakes for close friends and family, completely self-taught, using YouTube for techniques I did not know. Whilst on maternity leave with my daughter, the looming thought of returning to full-time retail hours, plus an hour each way commute, encouraged me to make things official and register with the council to sell my bakes. It allowed me to work around being a Mummy. I took on a limited number of bespoke orders per week, added another baby to the family and gradually grew the business – working around school runs and holidays. What were your biggest challenges when opening the café? Coming up with a name which felt right was tough. ‘Enchanted Pantry’ just didn’t fit with the vision, but the brand continues alongside Ruffles for bespoke celebration cakes. After throwing around many suggestions, Ruffles just seemed to fit what we wanted to achieve. What gets you the most excited about your job? Creating a stunning selection of treats to fill the counter each week. Our signature Ruffle layer cakes are the most fun to put together and our Bakewell slice is by far the best seller. I’ve always been one for doing things a little differently, from our hot chocolates made with just chocolate curls and milk, biscuit painting kits for the little ones, homemade shortbread or fudge served with your drink and our ‘yes please’ treat plate for when you just can’t decide. Now you are a fixture of the high street, how do you feel about your opening few months? I had huge apprehension prior to opening. With the cost-of-living crisis, would people have money to spend and was there actually a market for a pretty pink cafe in Harborough? We have been overwhelmed with the support so far, lots of Enchanted Pantry regulars have popped in, which has been incredible. We have an amazing base of regular customers already. It’s been a huge learning curve for all of us, understanding the art of coffee, figuring out how to cater and fulfil a menu in a small space, all with no formal catering background. We are really excited to see where the future takes us, for now we just want to shout about who we are and what we do, whether that be for a weekly half-hour pit stop catch up or special birthday celebration. Ruffles is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9am-4pm and is located at 43 High Street, Market Harborough. Follow Ruffles on Instagram @rufflesmh |
Issue 18
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