Christie Hudson, a mum-of-two, has turned her passion for baking into a brick-and-mortar shop in Mapperley after gaining a loyal following on Instagram. 'Chrispies Bakes' offers a range of indulgent traybakes, with plans to expand to a cafe space in the near future.
A mum-of-two whose fabulous homemade cakes grew an army of fans online has taken a big leap by opening a shop. And that's just the start for Christie Hudson, who will be turning half the property in Mapperley , into a cafe. Caramel brownies, Milkybar and raspberry blondies, Bueno Happy Hippo cookie pies and rocky road - made even more in indulgent with a layer of caramel or the addition of Mars Bar and Maltesers - are on sale at Chrispies Bakes in Westdale Lane.
Takeaway coffee, tea and hot chocolate is helping to warm up passers-by in the sub-zero temperatures.during maternity leave after the birth of her second child five years ago. The former recruitment manager became'obsessed' with brownies, trying different recipes to perfect her bakes. She was making so many, she sent some with her partner Steve Pinegar to his workplace. Christie said:'Someone wanted to order some for a party - I was like I don't sell them. 'I just set up Instagram on a whim and then we went into lockdown and I set it up as a business. I did mixed boxes of six and people were buying five boxes and dropping them with their mum and dad and sister on doorsteps and that's how word spread. I guess from there it exploded a little bit.' When lockdown ended and cafes reopened, trade dropped a little so Christie began wholesale, supplying a dozen coffee shops and farm shops. She said:'It became a bit much. It was hard to serve my customers what they wanted as I was trying to fit it around wholesale. I got rid of some wholesale and then started doing markets which was really fun.'and Burton Joyce food fair became regular dates on the calendar and they will still continue now the shop has opened. Eager to separate her home and work life, Christie began looking for premises, ending up with something twice as big she initially planned. Originally the Beauty Temple before it relocated to Mapperley Top, more recently was a hair salon with a tanning room, nail bar and cafe. Steve knocked down walls to create an open space and decorated the property. Half the premises will have tables, window stools and a sofa so customers can eat in from February. Christie said:'I only really wanted somewhere I could bake from with a shop front but then I saw this and thought it could be really good. 'It's five minutes from home. I can keep the same customers as it's not far for them so I've got people who have been customers from the start but I'm picking up all the new ones and dog walkers who come past which is nice. It's easier for people to know when I'm open now. 'Before all the orders were through Instagram which takes a lot of time as once someone's messaged, you reply and then you're back and forth. Now they can just come in and collect as they like. They can still pre-order.' Personalised happy birthday messages can also be added to the bakes. While Christie's forte is traybakes, she has taken on another baker who is focussing on cake. Carrot cake and blueberry and lemon muffins are new, along with cookie sandwiches, which on the first day were proving exceptionally popular.for friends and families but she's never done it professionally before. She said:'I have been a care assistant for a long time. I always baked for fun. 'I have followed Christie on Instagram for years and then when she put about opening a bakery, I think I must have been the first person to message her. It's amazing, it's like a dream for me to be doing what I love. It's beautiful here and when it's got tables in it will be even better.' Both she and Christie are self taught and have never had any kind of training.'It's just the passion and I think that's what makes businesses successful. Sometimes you can have all the skill in the world but not have the love for it. When you see people enjoying it, that's what's nice,' said Christie. The team is completed by barista Natalia Wojdyla, who is a law student. As a small business owner, Christie is determined to support others like herself. The sausage rolls on the counter are supplied by Carlton-based Project Pies. A living wall in the cafe is from Ought2 in Langar. A local artist will be making a range of cards for sale and the coffee is from Nottingham roaster Outpost. Another aim is to fully integrate into the community, like her mum and dad before her, who used to run Shubalu shoe shops in Arnold and. She said:'I used to work there and it was always the same staff. Sometimes you'd get elderly people who'd come in for a chat. I want to create that feeling here, where you can have a cup of tea and a chat with the staff if you're having a bad day. It will be the same staff and it's very familiar.' The shop is open Friday and Saturday from 8am to 2pm during January. Once the cafe opens next month, it will change to Monday to Saturday. Customer Jade Holmes was making her second visit and is looking forward to the cafe opening. She said:'I live close-by so it will be really handy. It's a really nice place. 'I came in with my two kids before and had the mini egg cookie and they had the Lotus biscoff which they said was incredible. It's really nice to have something in the space finally. I'm looking forward to eating these with the kids,' she added, after buying Nutella and Crunchie cookie sandwiches
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