A MOTHER-and-daughter duo have just celebrated four years of creating and running their own community-focused micro-bakery and farm shop in Downton.

Emma Parry and Louisa Pinkham started their business, Stable & Wick, from their kitchen table in 2020 when Louisa had to give up her previous business in events to move back home after Louisa’s sector had been decimated overnight by the pandemic.

Once at home, Louisa, now 37, and her mum decided to embrace home baking with a vengeance.

The pair started making bread and cinnamon buns and put the word out on social media about their new venture.

The tasty treats proved popular as they were sold out within hours.

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Emma said: “I’ve always loved baking, and Louisa has inherited that love too.

“We thought that it might be a lovely thing to do for people locally to be able to easily access good bread and brownies from their doorstep.

“In our village we have a small shop, and larger supermarkets are several miles away, so we thought it might be popular.”

Soaring demand

Demand for the baked goods soared to the point where the pair decided they couldn’t continue to bake at home and that a new premises was needed.

Emma and Louisa got in contact with farmer Will Dickson, who offered them a derelict, disused barn.

After searching for fridges and ovens, the doors opened in the autumn of 2020.

“We didn’t have a business plan; we simply reacted to the extraordinary situation we were all in, and the community supported us,” Louisa said.

Stable & Wick’s popular cinnamon buns Picture: Stable & Wick

“By the early spring we’d run out of space, and we had to consider if this business had ‘legs’. For me, it didn’t look like the events sector would be on its feet any time soon.”

She added: “On that first day we did worry that no one would actually turn up.

“However, soon there was a queue down the lane for people wanting to buy their bread, cheese and milk from us.”

Support from Wiltshire Rural Hubs

The business received support from the team at Wiltshire Rural Hubs, which runs free online workshops aimed at supporting rural businesses, social enterprises, and community projects across areas covered by Wiltshire Council.

These sessions provide knowledge and support to those thinking of starting a business, for those having just started an enterprise, and for those more established and looking to grow.

“This resource has been so valuable for us, even though I have run my own agency before,” Louisa said.

“This type of business is not the same, and a different set of skills are required.”

“We now realise we do need to plan ahead to move the business forward and having someone experienced in business to cast fresh eyes on us has been extremely valuable.”

Plans to expand

The pair are now raising funds to expand their offering, to buy new seating and equipment for the premises. They will then apply for a grant to help with some of those costs.

They are already welcoming community groups to the space – including a crochet club – and wish to become a social hub for locals.

“When we first began baking back in 2020 and offering our food for sale, we never dreamed that we would be running our own micro bakery and farm shop just four years on,” Louisa added.

“We are so grateful to our community for supporting us and also for the Wiltshire Rural Hubs project for helping us move forward.”

The Wiltshire Rural Hubs team holds virtual support sessions for businesses based in rural areas in the Wiltshire Council area on a regular basis.

The first sessions of 2025 take place on January 14, January 21 and January 28 between 10am and 12pm.

These workshops are part of the Rural Hubs Grants programme, funded by Wiltshire Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Delivered in partnership with the University of Bath, The Future Smiths, and TechSPARK, the programme aims to strengthen rural ventures and enhance their role in local communities.

For further information and to secure a place in January, visit https://www.wiltshireruralhubs.co.uk