From Granny’s kitchen to a rising success: ‘Our whole concept is simple...take the classics people love and put a twist on them’

If you’d told me years ago that I’d end up running a growing bakery and coffee business in Cloughmills, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

But looking back, it seems like everything in my life has gently nudged me back to where I started — in the kitchen, baking with my granny. She was the one who sparked my love for food. From day one, I was standing beside her mixing bowls, covered in flour, learning the basics and discovering the joy that comes from making something with your hands and watching other people enjoy it.

After school, I headed to college to study cookery, but it didn’t take long for me to realise that pastry was where my heart truly was. I spent years working as a pastry chef, loving every minute of it. Then, like many people do, I took a complete turn and moved into the fitness industry for a while. I enjoyed it, but something always pulled me back toward baking.

Eventually, I returned to the kitchen full-time — and that’s when Twisted Bakes & Coffee really began to take shape.

Sarah’s story isn’t so different from mine. She’ll tell you herself that her granny wasn’t a great cook — but she could bake, and that was enough to plant the seed. From a young age, Sarah was always experimenting with flavours, trying new recipes and coming up with ideas long before we ever thought of turning it into a business. When we first met, we started making Twisted 15s together. Back then, it was barely a business — more of a fun hobby we dipped in and out of. Neither of us imagined that four years later we’d be running a full-time, fast-growing business with a coffee van, a bigger premises and a recognisable name across markets in Northern Ireland.

At Twisted Bakes & Coffee, our whole concept is simple: take the classics people love and put a twist on them. Traybakes, cookies, brownies — familiar favourites, but reinvented with flavours people don’t expect. We want our treats to surprise people and give them that moment of, “Oh wow, that’s different!” We supply businesses with bakes, especially for seasonal occasions, and we’re regulars at local markets, sometimes with our stall, sometimes with the coffee van. No two weeks are the same, and that’s what keeps us excited.

A typical day for the two of us is a mix of baking, packing orders, prepping for markets and doing the admin that no one sees but absolutely everything depends on. Between emails, market bookings, creating new product labels, researching events and planning seasonal menus, there’s always something happening behind the scenes. And because it’s just us, we divide the work based on our strengths — whether that’s customer engagement, coffee prep or recipe development.

There have been plenty of highs — seeing returning customers, hearing people talk about us to their friends, and watching our bakes and coffees become part of people’s weekend routines. Those moments mean the world. But we’ve also faced the usual small-business challenges: limited space, long hours, juggling everything ourselves and learning on the go. In many ways, those challenges have pushed us to become more organised, more creative and more confident.

One of the things I’m proudest of is how far we’ve come from baking at home. We’ve just moved into a bigger premises, officially moving Twisted out of our house and into a space that allows us to grow properly. It’s such a huge milestone, and it’s opened the door to new opportunities — including finally launching our website, something I’ve been planning since the summer but never had the space (or time!) to make happen. Soon, customers will be able to order their favourite bakes online and have them posted straight to their door.

The Twilight Market will always have a special place in our story. Our very first market ever was the Christmas Twilight Market last year — a last-minute opportunity thanks to Sarah’s college tutor, Brian. Returning this year with our coffee van felt like a full-circle moment. The growth between then and now has been unbelievable.

If this journey has taught us anything, it’s that hard work and support — from each other, from customers and from other traders — can take you further than you ever imagined. Running a small business isn’t easy, and some days it pushes you right to your limits. But when you believe in what you’re building, the right opportunities always seem to appear at the right time.

We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who’s supported Twisted Bakes & Coffee so far. And honestly? This feels like only just the beginning.