New cafe in Blyth opened by lifelong home baker has 'hit the ground running'

The Bowes Street venture was started by 47-year-old Lindsey Nicholson, a lifelong home baker who hopes it will become a friendly place for the community to enjoy.

Lindsey said: “It is a bit daunting, whether I am going to do it justice, but at the same time I am really thrilled to be part of the Blyth shopping culture.

“Last week I just kept crying because it was really overwhelming that I had opened my doors and people who I recognised from the community were coming in for coffee and congratulating me.

“I want it to be where people can come, whether they are needing people or they are by themselves, they know they are going to get a smile, a chat, and somewhere safe and warm.”

Lindsey had been keen to expand from selling home bakes at markets and festivals to a brick and mortar cafe as she enjoys interacting with customers as well as baking. When the opportunity came up, she jumped at it.

She said: “The lady who had the shop before me advertised that she needed to get out. I went down and a week later I had signed the lease.

“I got an army of volunteers in to help me paint and two weeks later I opened. I went from working at food festivals to having my shop within three weeks.

“It has been a bit hectic. We have literally hit the ground running.”

Lindsey says the sweet treats on offer will vary from day to day depending on what she has made that morning, and the other items on her menu are sourced from local suppliers where possible.

She has baked all her life but really got into it as a hobby during the pandemic as she kept busy while looking after her son Ben, who has a disability.

She said: “I come from a family of home bakers. I have always been the one if somebody needs a cake for a coffee morning.

“During lockdown Ben did not go to school because he was classed as vulnerable. I used to bake to fill my time and do doorstop drop offs.

“It got to the end of lockdown and I just needed to continue because I realised I got a lot out of the baking.”

It was once she started selling them at events and festivals that things began to snowball.

Lindsey said: “I had never really thought that my bakes were anything special but some of the reactions to my bakes tell you that they are not just ordinary, they are good.”

There has been “fantastic” support from the local community for L of a Bake, and Lindsey has high hopes for the future of the town where she has lived most of her life.

She said: “There is a lot of talk on social media about how Byth is in decline but if you actually walk around the centre of Blyth there are so many independent traders there that are trying their hardest to raise their profile.

“There are not a lot of big names, but I feel like there is a shift in shopping culture at the minute, moving more towards independent traders.”