MamGu Welshcakes continues its expansion across Pembrokeshire with the opening of its second café and second bakery.
A £40,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales supported the costs of both sites, including fitting out the shop.
Located at the Marine Centre of Excellence in Saundersfoot harbour, the new café aims to continue its offfering of Welsh cakes to holidaymakers and locals. This follows the model of its first outlet in the tourist town of Solva, further round the west coast of Wales.
Meanwhile, MamGu’s latest production facility in St Davids (famed for being Britain’s smallest city) is just a few miles down the road from its original bakery in Croesgoch. It will help the business keep up with increased demand as well as develop new product lines.
Monthly output has risen from an estimated 20,000 Welsh cakes last year to a current total of around 30,000 units, including supplying a growing list of stockists such as cafes, delis and shops.
Along with its traditional Welsh cakes – similar to fruit scones but baked on a cast-iron griddle – the bakery produces modern variations including sweet, savoury, vegan and gluten-free versions. Flavour combinations include the likes of honey & lavender, dark chocolate & orange, white chocolate & cranberry, cheese & leek, and cheese & jalapeno.
Best-selling items online are the six-pack of Welsh cakes (£5.50) and the Welsh Afternoon Tea for Two (£24.95), a box set comprising Welsh cakes, slices of Bara Brith loaf (a fruity tea bread), clotted cream, jam, chutney, cheese, butter, and tea or coffee bags, all locally produced.
According to the company, its seasonal special boxes such as for celebrations of Christmas, Halloween, and Mother’s Day have always sold out.
Nan’s secret recipe
The bakery was founded in 2016 by friends Becky Swift and Thea Noble, who drew inspiration from a visit to an Amsterdam pancake house. Armed with a “secret recipe” and baking knowledge passed down by Swift’s grandmother (‘MamGu’ is Welsh for nan), the pair started selling their handmade products at food markets across Pembrokeshire.
MamGu has since grown to employ 35 staff across all sites on both a full and part-time basis, with the hope that further expansion will create more year-round work opportunities.
The company said its café sales were significantly higher than its online sales (baked-to-order) during summer months, although nationwide shipping of its products picked up in the winter. “Great support from wonderful locals” supports café revenue in the tourist offseason, noted Swift.
Despite the new café at Saundersfoot being “well within reach” of MamGu’s premises in Solva, Swift was confident it would help them get to new customers further afield.
“Some people might say expanding to a new site is a gamble, but for us, it’s a natural step to what we want to do next – and people always want cake!”
Welsh bakeries appear to be going from strength to strength in recent months, with The Pudding Compartment in Flint receiving a £100,000 grant to increase its production area earlier this year, and Jones Village Bakery in Wrexham looking to hire more night workers to support its rapid growth.
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