Baker Charlotte pops up to bring tasty Taiwanese buns to east Belfast

And It’s hard to miss the sweet smell of freshly baked custard buns from the small pop-up bakery at Ballyhackamore on the Upper Newtownards Road!

Passionate about Asian food, Charlotte, from Hollywood, says curious customers in the eye-catching Bun Stop “can expect a sweet tea and bun break, in true Taiwan-style”.

“It’s a full sensory food experience that brings customers the authentic tastes of Taiwan’s rich and vibrant tea and distinctive food culture,” she explains.

Charlotte and her team handcraft delicious ‘wheel cake’ buns in the shop; baking small batches of the tasty hand-held snacks freshly every day in a selection of signature flavours.

The fluffy wheel cakes, which are found in many parts of Asia especially Taiwan, an island nation close to China, are a delicious street food dessert. They are stuffed pancake snacks filled with memorable flavours such as vanilla, fairtrade chocolate, and biscoff. Other authentic fillings offered include a deep, nutty black sesame and delicate Matcha green tea.

“For our newly expanded drinks offering, we’re now providing a menu of genuine classics from the streets of Taipei - iced and hot flavours that are refreshing and different. We’re loving to see new customers trying out Taiwan’s famous brown sugar bubbles, and coming back for more,” adds Charlotte.

Born in Taipei, where her father, who hails from Belfast, worked, she started making the buns during the first coronavirus lockdown “for comforting tea breaks while I was working from home”.

“I couldn’t get out to Asia due to Covid-19 restrictions, so I was looking for another way to enjoy the delicious treats that I missed so much from my regular trips there,” continues the affable Charlotte. “The buns are super comforting and fluffy when freshly-made and eaten hot. I thought if I couldn’t get out to Taipei from Belfast, I would bring a bit of that special Taiwan-style tea break culture here for locals to share the joy.”

The buns feature classic ingredients such as milk, local free-range eggs and sugar, making a convenient and tasty snack.

“Our signature wheel cake buns are part of a rich tea break culture in Taiwan,” she explains. “I began delivering to the east Belfast area in autumn last year from home as a bit of an experiment. After an incredible stint selling the patisserie treats at the Hill Street Hatch pop-up in November, I knew that Belfast was really keen to taste more of what we could offer from Taiwan and other parts of Asia. We became immensely popular with snackers in the Cathedral area. This success encouraged me to consider developing my start-up venture.

“So, when we saw the Ballyhackamore space was available, the landlord generously agreed to let us pop-up here and finally bring a fully-fledged Taiwan-style tea break experience with our wheel cake buns and selection of the famous Asian treats which are known as bubble tea to what has become an important food hub with a number of innovative restaurants and takeaway outlets.”

Ballyhackamore, she says, is “a great place for adventurous foodies” “There are so many incredible, independent local businesses here, bringing food and flavours from all around the world. I knew it would be a great spot to introduce that special Taiwan-style tea break culture to people who are interested in trying something a little different.”

She also grew up in the area where her parents lived after returning from Taiwan. “I went to Belmont Primary School as a child. It’s been fantastic to come back to the area and to see it bustling with exciting and independently-owned eateries and local-owned shops offering quality meats, breads, and fresh vegetables and fruit from suppliers from this part of the world,” she adds.

The family came to NI when Charlotte was aged five and ready for school. She gained a marketing degree and started a successful career in the profession. Her interest in food had also been stimulated by working in cafes and restaurants during her teens.

Charlotte is currently scaling up small-batch baking to meet the growing demand for hot wheel cake buns - without compromising on the freshness and quality of the traditional Taiwanese baking method.

“The Bun Stop has become a great hub for experimenting with new flavours and expanding our menu to include Taiwan-style drinks alongside local-roasted coffees and teas. We’re popping up in Ballyhackamore until March and hope that we’ll be able to use this experience to continue to grow,” she continues.

Charlotte is using her marketing skills to promote the business and is also researching other potential sites for the bakery.