Grant and guidance made "massive difference" to Bake 180

“We employ ten people and, when you have that level of staff, you have a responsibility. It has never crossed my mind not to carry on."

A coffee shop owner who turned her passion into a successful business says support from Warwickshire County Council made “a massive difference” in enabling her to weather one of the toughest times ever for SMEs

Like all small businesses in the tourism sector, Bake180, at Middleton Hall in north Warwickshire was heavily impacted by the pandemic and then faced the ongoing challenges of rising costs.

But Sarah Exall, who started the business in 2009 and moved into Middleton Hall two years later, pivoted adroitly during the lockdowns by starting a delivery service of afternoon teas and other treats.

Then support from Warwickshire County Council's Survive, Sustain & Grow programme – advice from programme advisor Andy Woodward and a grant towards structural improvements – left Bake 180 well-placed to advance again post-pandemic.

The support gave the business, which employs ten people, crucial ballast through such turbulent times.

“As with everybody, we have been affected by the rising cost of living with the increase of material costs,” said Sarah. “We have had tough moments but are very happy with our footfall considering everything.

“Our wonderful location means we are in a fortunate position, so we are much luckier than others, and having the windows replaced made it a much warmer environment and made a massive difference. We employed an extra person as a result of the SSG grant and I am sure we would have employed more if it wasn't for the increased costs.

“We employ ten people and, when you have that level of staff, you have a responsibility. It has never crossed my mind not to carry on. 

"The grant was a huge help and it's just great that these opportunities are out there for businesses like ours. I think smaller businesses can sometimes feel like they are a little bit left behind when the big companies are able to do so much. When you have support like we got from Warwickshire County Council, it helps a lot. It's really great in a practical way but also just by showing that there is help out there, because running a small business can be very challenging and you need that help."

WCC Business & Support Growth Programme Manager, Jon Stead, said: “It is great to hear that WCC’s business support has proved to be of such enduring value to Sarah and helped her to not only safeguard the jobs of her staff but recruit further.

“The Survive, Sustain & Grow programme, with its mix of expert consultancy and potential associated grant funding, was very effective in helping businesses make plans to reconsolidate and grow. We received a lot of very appreciative feedback from business and, while that programme has now closed, a wide range of business support remains available from us and our partners and I would urge all businesses to look at https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/business-support or  CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747 for details of other support.”