Shopping and Cupcakes
Step inside the beautiful store, and story, of Millie Rose
STEPPING THROUGH THE DOORS OF MILLE ROSE’S
boutique in Timaru, it is immediately apparent this is a store filled to the brim with joy and a true reflection of the incredible young woman who runs it – a marriage of everything she loves – ‘colours, cakes and fashion’.
Born in Scotland before coming to New Zealand at a young age with her mum and two older sisters, Millie has been surrounded by baking and culinary creativity for as long as she can remember. ‘Mum was a pastry chef when I was young, and Dad is a chef on cruise ships, so I have always had an affinity for food,’ she explains.
At the age of 15, Millie took the first steps towards her dream of shop ownership with a street-side stall selling cupcakes in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. ‘I was trying to earn some money as I had been accepted as an apprentice at Fisher & Donaldson Bakers in Scotland,’ she explains. A Royal Warrant-holding fifth-generation family bakery specialising in traditional handmade goods.
As life sometimes does, things changed and the apprenticeship was placed on hold. ‘I made the decision to leave school and do something different,’ she continues. ‘I have dyslexia and I knew that formal education wasn’t for me. It was a big decision and a bit of a risk but I knew I could succeed and overcome the challenges ahead.’ So she enrolled at polytech, did her food safety certificate and completed a New Zealand Certificate in Baking. ‘It was great and looking back I am proud of my decision and hope I can inspire others that you don’t have to be hands-on with reading and writing to succeed.’
The following four years saw Millie put her baking tools aside to focus on her other loves, fashion and interior design. ‘I made the decision to stay in New Zealand,’ she says. ‘I did a little bit of retail, a bit of design, and really enjoyed being immersed in our local fashion industry. But I missed the creative outlet of working with my hands to bake something.’
So at the age of 21 she took another risk and jumped on a plane bound for Scotland. ‘I walked into Fisher & Donaldson and asked if there was still room for me,’ she laughs. ‘And there was.’
Millie describes the 12 months of her apprenticeship as some of the hardest and best of her life. ‘The experience really pushed me. I was working 10-hour days with hardly any breaks or rest and icing over 1,000 cakes a day. It honestly felt like it was a daily production line of cakes, but at the end of the day I was still excited about the work I was doing. The experience forced me to see the passion I have for cakes. A passion I thought I had lost.’
In 2019, having returned to Timaru, she made the decision to jump in the deep end (again!) and open her own boutique. ‘The concept came together really quickly. I wanted to support New Zealand-made products, collaborate with local designers and sell cupcakes.’
The cupcakes came first, while she worked locally in retail, and for 10 months she sold her beautifully made
and elaborately decorated cupcakes. She soon established a strong following, particularly at the end of the working week with the Friday Special – typically an extreme flavour combo and design. ‘My premises on Church Street had the smallest kitchen,’ she laughs. ‘It was perfect at the time, but it essentially only had a home kitchen oven so I was baking 24 cupcakes at a time.’ And selling 800–1,000 a week. ‘During that time I was also researching products and building connections with local producers and designers so that I could fill my boutique. I was all ready to open on 4 April [2020].’
The Level 4 COVID-19 Lockdown changed her plans. ‘I took it with a grain of salt,’ she shrugs, ‘and carried on. I
launched my website and waited until Level 2 when I could open my doors. I couldn’t let Covid stand in the way of my dreams.’
Less than a year later Millie has firmly established herself as a stalwart in the Timaru retail scene. ‘The store grew much quicker than I anticipated,’ she enthuses. Her following and support has grown so much so that in early March (2021) she relocated her boutique to Stafford Street.
‘I was approached by the owner of the building to see if I would consider taking it on, and I was blown away. It is three to four times bigger than the Church Street space, and I was able to revamp the old kitchen out the back to work for us. I couldn’t have made the move without her giving me a chance.
‘I now have the room to cater for [specific] dietary requirements with my baking and expand my flavours.’ The large-scale commercial oven holds 96 cupcakes at a time, dramatically decreasing the daily baking time.
Millie is still in awe that what she has created has been so well supported both by those in Canterbury and beyond, with web sales increasing all the time. ‘It is basically just a shop of beautiful things,’ she concludes, but one that will have you coming back time and time again. And with cupcake flavours changing daily, what better excuse is there!