A cake maker who taught herself to bake after losing her job during the Covid pandemic is preparing to open her first physical store.
Tanna Hay turned to baking as a way of paying the bills after being made redundant, learning through trial and error and picking up tips from YouTube videos.
She has been offering bespoke celebration cakes from her home in Yarnfield, but is now putting the final touches to her first Tanna Bakes shop set to open at Fletcher’s Garden Centre in Eccleshall within the next few weeks.
Tanna, a single mum to four children, one of whom is disabled, has a background in sales and marketing.
She ran her own business up until 2017 when her son was taken ill and she became a full-time carer for a while. She then took up a part-time job working with horses but that employment stopped during the pandemic.
Tanna told Daily Focus: “I’ve had double pneumonia and sepsis in the past so I was classed as high risk during lockdown.
“I started baking because I couldn’t afford to buy a birthday cake for a friend and it took off from there. People started asking me to bake for them so I registered with the local authority and took the plunge.
“I have reached maximum capacity at home, but I will be able to expand production at the shop.”
Tanna says her cakes stand out because of the love she puts into them.
She’ll be offering treats such as tray bakes, cheesecakes, brownies and cookies at the new shop, as well as continuing to take orders for celebration cakes.
She said: “I’m really passionate about everything I bake and when someone has asked me to be part of their special day, I want it to be right for them.
“I’m not trying to compete with supermarket birthday cakes; my bakes are much different.”
Fletchers Garden Centre is home to a number of other independent businesses including a country cabin, master saddler and a hairdresser. A vintage and collectables shop is due to open soon.
