No loafing around, Linda’s on a winner

CHALLENGING, rewarding, but lots of hard work.

That’s how Linda Free describes giving up a comfortable job to branch out and buy a small business. But she’s never looked back.

Ms Free has owned Cripps Bakehouse Bellerive for the past 14 months — and it’s been a baptism of fire.

“We took over a very successful business from the previous owners, who had put it into a fantastic place,” she said.

“Unfortunately corona(virus) hit, so it’s been challenging, but we also have wonderful stuff — and we kept all the staff, they’ve pretty much carried the business for us which has been fantastic, so we owe a lot to our staff.”

And it all started because of a midlife crisis. “I worked for the Commonwealth Government, I worked for Centrelink for 21 years and decided my husband and I would buy a business in our 40s,” Ms Free laughed.

“I don’t know what we were thinking but it’s the best thing we ever did, I wish we had made the decision earlier.”

The decision wasn’t without its perils though with two teenage children to care for.

“It was a huge risk and a huge life decision, it was very scary when the coronavirus … when we went into those hard stage three and four restrictions, we thought we were going to go under and lose the business,” Ms Free said.

Customers turn out in droves for the store’s doughnuts and pies — and another special treat not usually found at bakeries. “Our bestsellers are our doughnuts, of course, and we make all our bread here on-site, we don’t buy any bread in which is quite unusual for bakeries,” Ms Free said.