The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Starting a home bakery

flourgirl_04's picture
flourgirl_04

Starting a home bakery

Hello I'm Nila,

I have just recently started a home bakery on Instagram, I have only posted a few pictures and I don't have any sales yet. I am trying to figure out the best way to reach people and create a menu that people will want to buy from. I'm currently offering pumpkin sourdough bread, plain sourdough bread, sourdough brioche, rosemary garlic sourdough bread, and sourdough cinnamon buns. 

Before I opened my account I went to a pop-up farmers market with a friend who has a cookie business and I sold my pumpkin sourdough and plain sourdough breads, I think I had about 11-12 loaves and sold out in 1 hour. So it seems that people like them but until the next pop-up market comes I would like to sell online to make some money for supplies since the next market I will be going on my own, so I need to buy my own equipment and everything. Plus a spot at the market is not even guaranteed. If anyone has advice and suggestions please let me know!

I am currently in Brandon, Florida

My instagram is @flourgirl_04

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Welcome to TFL!

You may have seen this web site, but if you haven't, it has both legal and practical tips:

http://www.pickyourown.org/CottageFoodLawsByState.htm

and for Florida:

https://www.pickyourown.org/CottageFoodLaws-Florida.php

Apparently, a new/amended home-food law in FL went into effect July 2021.

--

Good luck!

flourgirl_04's picture
flourgirl_04

Thanks for sending me that, I had looked at it before but didn't see the new laws from July. I'm relieved that I can send my bread by mail now, hopefully people would like that if I advertise about that.

sunflowerhelena's picture
sunflowerhelena

Hey Nila,

Glad to hear you're starting a new bakery, just wanted to offer our support if you need it. Love the pictures on your instagram, and also love the fact that you do sourdough!

We(me and my wife) started baking for farmers markets when our fledgling veggie stand was not supporting us like we thought. We started our first year in 2016 making some pastries and about 20-30 loaves per Saturday market, second year doing more like 70, and the third year we were selling out early every time at 112 loaves per market(that was our max in more ways than one). It was crazy, but I would do it again. 

Baking out of our house was the real challenge, we rented, and had to sneak a second kitchen oven in the basement on our dryer outlet, just to keep up with the demand in business. Thankfully we got out of there and moved into a spot in a strip mall last year, so far so good. You take it where you're comfortable, but I will say the home location offered a better return on our time and investment, very little in expenses other than food costs.

Check out the bakers4bakers.org forum, it's awesome and full of similar start-up and seasoned bakers, who are mostly just getting started. And you can follow us @sunflowerhelena and ask any questions you need.  Good luck!

flourgirl_04's picture
flourgirl_04

Thank you for the suggestions. I will check out that forum. Hopefully I can get accepted to the local farmers market and start doing that.

Mariel's picture
Mariel

Shalom Nila. May Y' bless you.

Have you considered sponsoring your account in Instagram with and add or in Facebook. 

At least in Facebook the algorithm get you exposure to a several hundred people of your targeted audience for a couple of bucks and a limited time.

But I believe you will found 12 more clients in no time until your next farmers market.

Hope this helps you. At least is something I will do once I have my home bakery running. Shalom.

flourgirl_04's picture
flourgirl_04

Thanks, I saw that on Instagram before so I might just do that when I get a little more money.