The Tongwynlais man switched careers and now serves more than 100 customers a week
MICRO-BAKER Liam Nash quit his job of 20 years in procurement to open a bakery from his Tongwynlais home and now serves more than 100 regular customers a week.
Mr Nash said he had money coming in when he worked for the rail industry but no free time.
So he started The Grumpy Baker a year ago from his family kitchen with a mission to “bring real bread to local community”.
“Baking frees up time to spend with the children,” he said.
The 40-year-old has converted half his kitchen into a professional bakery with a Cardiff council food hygiene rating of five.
“Apart from the odd child walking in it feels like a proper bakery,” he said.
Mr Nash said his love of baking dates back to his childhood when his dad would bake fresh soda bread for him each morning before school.
He started baking for his family eight years ago after being disappointed with the “fake bread” in supermarkets that are full of preservatives. The Grumpy Baker is part of the Real Bread Campaign, a movement producing sourdough bread without any chemicals or additives.
Following the death of his brother in 2020 Mr Nash felt it was the right time to set up the business.
“I thought ‘if I don’t do it now, when will I?’,” he said.
Mr Nash bakes twice a week using local and organic flour from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire, and Talgarth Mill in Brecon, a restored watermill run by volunteers.
The Grumpy Baker bakes for more than 100 regular customers a week.
“The business has gone better than imagined, with the rota pretty full already,” he added.
Word of mouth has helped to establish the business.
“Social media and the internet helps. I couldn’t have done this type of business 20 years ago.”
He attributes part of his success to keeping his costs down by having small overheads and no separate permanent shop.
He hasn’t increased prices this year but that can’t last forever during the cost-of-living crisis.
“I’m holding it for the moment, which customers appreciate.”
Customers order and pay online via his website and collect from Mr Nash’s house on Ironbridge Road every Friday between 5pm and 7pm. It takes two and a half days to make the bread.
The shop stocks cinnamon buns for £1.95 each, a range of sourdough loaves including a local vintage mature cheddar and chilli loaf for £3.50 and ready-made fresh pizza dough for £1.20.
However, Mr Nash is hoping to expand this year and may sell fresh French pastries on Saturday mornings in the spring as many of his customers walk their dogs on the Taff Trail past his house early on the weekend.
He is also considering setting up a stall at the weekly Riverside Farmers’ Market in the summer.
