A Worcestershire bagel bakery business is on the rise after a major move into bigger premises, advised by commercial property experts at John Truslove.
The Steamhouse Bakery in Redditch is now in premises almost ten times the size of its previous base, creating more than a dozen new jobs, as owners Ashley Baker and Kayleigh O’Mahony plan fresh growth.
The couple launched the business five years ago and realised last year they had outgrown their former 550sq ft bakery in Colemeadow Road.
Ashley Baker said: “When Covid hit, we had to close our café outlets but pivoted to selling our bagels & cakes as takeout from the bakery.
“It has been a great success and given us a new direction for the business, but we needed somewhere bigger.
“Ben Truslove, at John Truslove, had helped us find the Colemeadow Road unit so I got in touch and he showed us three or four places that were around 1,500-2,000 sq ft. Then he suggested we look at a 5,000 sq ft unit at Springside, on the Park Farm Industrial Estate.
“We realised it was the ideal base for our growth over the next few years, with staff car parking at the rear, customer parking at the front, offices and plenty of space. We’ve signed a five-year lease and opened the front of the bakery as a 60-seat café.
“Kayleigh and I wanted to launch our own business when we were only 24-25, before kids and a mortgage came along, and started out with just one member of staff.
“We recruited our bakery manager, Lorna, four a half years ago and now we employ 42 people at the bakery, cafes in Leamington Spa and Worcester and with our VW doughnut truck at a popular farm shop near Snitterfield.
“Before the move we had three bakers, now we have seven and a dozen more people working front of house. We’re investing in a second food truck for Caffeine & Machine at Ettington and we are also about to seal a deal for a third retail outlet.
“We’re baking 5,000 to 6,000 bagels a week, as well as 2,000 doughnuts. The new bakery has given us a firm base for the next five years. And Ben Truslove is now a customer – he comes in for his coffee, bagels and doughnuts every Friday. He and his team have been brilliant.”
Ben Truslove, joint managing director at John Truslove, secured a five year lease for Steamhouse Bakery on Unit 5a, Springside, on Howard Road, which provides 5,332 sq ft.
He said: “We are delighted to have helped Ashley and Kayleigh take their business to the next level. We were able to advise them on the best choice of property to secure their future while providing an excellent tenant for our landlord client. This is a business that is clearly on its way to further growth and success – and their bagels are delicious!”
In the lease negotiations Steamhouse Bakery were represented by Sarah Rao, of HCB Solicitors in Redditch.
Redditch-based chartered surveyors and valuers John Truslove was recently named Most Active Agent in Worcestershire in the Radius Data Exchange survey produced in conjunction with EG, the commercial property market magazine.
Joint managing director Ian Parker was also named Worcestershire Dealmaker of the Year AND Warwickshire Dealmaker of the Year for 2020. The survey year, which runs from August to August, saw John Truslove record a 36% increase in deals negotiated over the 12 months.