Copyright 2006 Ó Taste Of The Moorlands
Taste Of The Moorlands was set up by Sarah Gayton, following a period of four years in Kosovo with the United Nations and with a background in environmental protection.
Sarah Gayton came back to the UK in 2004 and started looking for work. By 2006, Sarah was managing a successful bakery and had a silver award for her shortbread under her belt.
Although baking runs in the family (click here to visit the Gayton Family Bakery website), this was not an obvious choice of career for Sarah. Returning from Kosovo, she helped her Warwickshire-based brother sell his bakery products at farmers' markets. It was while doing this that she realised how many people sought products with a low sugar content - some because of diabetes, others simply because they were counting calories.
Sarah Gayton decided she would start baking her own products to meet people's needs. She also, however, wanted to use local ingredients for her bakery - or buy direct from the producer - "to keep her 'food miles' to the minimum". This meant her products would be desirable to customers from an environmental and quality point of view - as well as for their taste!
Based in the Peak District, Sarah Gayton sourced her butter from the Peak District Dairy in Tideswell and her free range eggs from Ipstones. The strawberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants used in her fruit pies are all from Staffordshire, sugar is British and organic oats are bought by the tonne directly from a British supplier.
In July 2005, Sarah started renting a bakery on a farm at Warslow. "I noticed a competition being run by the Great Tastes Awards and entered my pure butter shortbread. We gained the silver award and were delighted - we had only been operating for three weeks…."
Sarah Gayton has two main ranges: 'no added sugar and fat' tea loaf and 'no added sugar' fruit pies. She also offers treacle tart, almond tart, butter crumble with fresh fruit, shortbread, oat crunchies and a hot ginger biscuit.
Sarah works full-time in the business and employs two people on a part-time basis. Her main trading outlets are the farmers' markets at Leek, Stone, Stafford, Shrewsbury and Bakewell.
Earlier this year Sarah Gayton was featured in local press for her contribution to a royal hamper which was to be presented to the queen.
Sarah was ecstatic when she was asked to cook for The Queen - who visited Stafford earlier this year as part of the town's 800th birthday celebrations.
"I was so surprised when I got the call asking me to bake for the Queen, it is a real honour."
Batches of Sarah's Oat Crunches, Treacle Tarts and her award-winning shortbread all featured in the hamper - which was put together by A Taste of Staffordshire.
If you would like to purchase some of Sarah's fantastic baked goods then please use the link below to visit our products page and you will be able to order securely online. All your products will arrive fresh, the next day.
For more information on the Gayton family and their history as bakers then use the link below to visit their website.
Sarah Gayton collecting an award,
Supreme Champion Trade Store
"Leader + has been a tremendous source of practical advice and support," says Sarah. "I had help with the writing of my business plan. It was vital to get the plan right as I needed it for discussions with banks and other agencies. I recently received a grant which is enabling me to buy an oven and a pastry press and later I hope to be able to acquire a labelling machine and a heat sealer so that I can improve my packaging." Longer term plans for Sarah include the setting up of an environmental training programme - with food as the theme.
Sarah Gayton's success has been featured in a booklet, regarding women in rural enterprise by Leader plus.
"I enjoy the baking and selling," says Sarah, "but I don't really enjoy the paperwork. But I would say to any woman thinking of setting up on her own: "Go for it!" There's lots of support and help out there. Get a good working relationship with your customers, constantly seek their feedback and listen to what they say. Just do it!"
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