Northumberland foodie friends launch new baking business

Katie Nesbitt, 19, and Annabel Tyser, 20, were forced to put their plans on hold when the covid pandemic began.

They needed to look at alternative ways to make a living and started baking, beginning with table-top sales on Holy Island.

It provided the launchpad for Thyme 2 Eat, at Beal, offering freshly baked goods to holiday cottages in and around north Northumberland.

The former Longridge Towers students aim to provide holidaymakers with baked goods to stock their fridge and freezer during their time in the county and to take the stress out of cooking so they can make the most of their time on holiday.

“It all started in lockdown when we didn’t really know what to do with ourselves and we were struggling to find work,” said Annabel.

“The traybake sales went well and then a family friend who runs a holiday cottages business said we could supply some of them.

"We started off with a small menu with soups, quiches and shepherd’s pie and the demand was high so we decided to take it further and go full-time.”

"It’s gone really well,” said Katie. “We did the catering for a wedding in August which was a great confidence boost and since then we’ve been working on packaging and spreading the word.”

Katie and Annabel say that the freshly made, locally sourced meals are also perfect for those shielding or living alone – with delivery available in the north Northumberland and Border communities.

"We all need to support each other to get through this,” said Annabel. “There are lots of elderly and vulnerable people living in this area who maybe aren’t able to get out as much at the moment but it’s got to help to have a little home-cooked food.”

They are expanding their service to cater for birthday parties, photography shoots and corporate events, and they have also been regularly donating traybakes to the local NHS service in Berwick as a token of their appreciation for the region’s key workers.

For more information, or to book, go online to www.thyme2eat.uk or call 07793 054923.

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