Kells pastry chef owner retrains as bus driver after rising costs forced her to close her beloved bakery
Louise Walsh
A pastry chef has retrained as a bus and truck driver when she was forced to close her beloved bakery after seeing ingredient prices soar by up to 200%.
Emma Smith (35) is now driving coaches for her weekly wage while she winds down her Mrs Smith's bakery, which she has operated for the last 12 years, four of which have been from a shop in Kells, Co. Meath.
She says she can now relax in the evenings instead of worrying about the future of her business, which sometimes had no customers at all for the day.
"I lost a lot of footfall when the nearby monastic tower at New Market Street closed to tourists and now the tourist buses don't seem to come here as much," she said.
"When you are in business, you don't expect to take a wage for a few years but over four and a half years of not taking a wage is too long. And with prices rising on everything, people are cutting back on buying treats like buns and cakes unless there is a special occasion. Disposable income isn't what it used to be and it's something none of us can ignore.
"I was blessed with my landlords for the shop who were so good to me when the rent was a bit late but other cost elements of running a business shot through the roof."
The mother-of-two admits closing the bakery was a decision made after a lot of thought and sleepless nights.
"The reality is that the challenges facing small businesses right now are bigger than ever. Spiralling costs across ingredients, utilities and day-to-day running expenses have made it harder and harder to keep going, and footfall in our already struggling town has dropped.
Emma is critical of both Meath Co. County Council and the Government who she believes hasn't done much for small business in recent years. She claims her rate bill alone had increased by 10pc to €1000 a year.
"It feels like not enough can be said about the lack of help and support afforded to small businesses. Unless things change within the higher ups, I don't see how things will improve for the bread and butter businesses of our little country.
"Budget after budget, we are forgotten and overlooked. For the last number of years, it can feel like there is a little space left for small businesses to survive, never mind succeed. I'm not sure when that will change but I've decided not to hang around to find out."
For the last number of months, Emma has changed the way she was doing business, foregoing fresh cream produce for longer shelf life items like cookies and brownies.
"Some days, I wouldn't see anyone for the day and the price of ingredients have jumped so high, I had to try and survive by changing how I bake.
"For example 5kgs of Belgian chocolate used to cost between €47 and €55. Now it is €210 and people wonder why a Brownie costs €4.
In thanking her customers for their support, she says that while she will miss the bakery, there was a lot to be said to getting a wage at the end of the week.
"I've always loved driving and I'll get into anything and drive it so moving to buses and trucks was easy peasy, especially with the help of my husband Peter who drives an articulated lorry.
"At the minute, I'm driving schools to tours and I'm absolutely loving it. It's a change of direction that I never thought I'd take but changing my career is the only way I can take my cake and eat it!