‘Success is sweet’
Sophia Butler, 40, lives in north London with her husband, Nick, 38, and their daughters Anastasia, six, and Louise, five. See @sugartearoom or visit sugartearoom.co.uk
As I put the finishing touches on a batch of beautiful cupcakes, I stepped back to admire my work. ‘Happy 30th birthday to me,’ I grinned.
Growing up in a Greek Cypriot family, food was always a big part of my life. My mum taught me to cook, but after making my own 30th birthday cakes in 2012, I realised I was really quite good at baking.
I had a full-time job in IT but there was a huge profit margin in cake making as the cost of ingredients was so low, so I thought it could be a good way to make some extra money.
I loved the idea of running a mobile tea room and started to look into how to make it happen.
Enrolling on a food safety course, I invested in equipment, packaging
and insurance, and I found a student photographer who offered a cheaper rate on professional pictures. Advertising my services on social media was free, I built my own website, and Sugar Tea Room was officially launched in 2013.
Although it was quite easy to get set up, it took me a while to build a following, and after working at the office all day I’d spend evenings and weekends baking.
SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES
Because I enjoyed it, it didn’t feel like hard work and I loved creating delicious afternoon teas, catering for anything from birthdays to hen parties.
Nick offered to be my delivery driver, and he even did all the washing up! During lockdown, afternoon tea boxes and picnic hampers were in hot demand, so even during uncertain times,
I was able to make extra money. The business is still going strong and every penny is going towards our new home. A lovely big kitchen would be the icing on the cake!