My Story

In 1954, Betty June Crouch bought the sweet shop in a little town called Sutton-In-Ashfield, England. It was on the high street across the street from the cinema, which meant it was perfect for all those going to the pictures to pick up their sweets to munch on during the film. 

Around 1959 she received notice that the cinema was to close, which meant she would lose most of her customers. It was then my Gran and Grandad decided to turn the sweet shop into a cake shop. 

The family lived above the shop and in the back was a small kitchen. Grandad turned the kitchen into a commercial kitchen, tiling the floor and fitting two large electric ovens in for Gran to bake all her cakes and pies. She was the brains behind the business, doing the books and baking everything from scratch. And my Grandad, having such a wonderful way with the customers, would help and support Gran by being in the front with a few other hired help. He was known as Gentleman Jim, addressing every customer as Sir or Madam even when he knew their names and orders. Gran’s parents would even help out by taking care of my Mum and Uncle whilst Gran was busy baking.

The business took off. It was the only homemade cake shop in the area. Five years earlier, on 4th July 1954 food rationing had come to end after 14 long years of rations due to WWII. People were finally able to have a few luxuries, so when homemade cakes and pies were made available every household couldn’t wait to get their hands on them.

Gran was known for her pastry and pies. She could make the best pastry. Her Cornish pasties were famous. People would be queuing outside the shop waiting for the Pasties to be pulled from the hot ovens and placed on the shelves. The Pasties were the perfect little parcel, filled with meat, swede, potato and onion. Gran would make them every day and within an hour they were gone. 

At Christmas time, it was all hands on deck making custom ordered fruitcakes for the locals. I especially remember her fruitcakes, for even after the business closed, she continued to make them for her family members. She moved from the traditional royal icing decorated fruitcake to sugar paste - which I am more familiar with. I have her hand written fruitcake recipe which I continue to use today. No matter how many fruitcake recipes I use I find myself always going back to hers.

Hundreds of mince pies were made during this time. Patty pans lined with pastry were filled with mincemeat and placed into the oven with large wooden paddles. My Mum would help with this process because of the large volume that was required for this special season. I can only imagine the aroma that filled the bakery.

Baking rippled through my home as I grew up. A lot of my Gran’s skills were passed down to my Mum. She encouraged Mum to go to culinary school when she was 15 and 2 years later, in 1966, she graduated with the highest grade. After she graduated, Gran gave her full reign in the bakery and Mum did many experimental bakes, introducing several new pastries, cakes, and soufflés to the costumers.

The bakery continued to be so successful, but like many good things, it came to an end. Gran decided to sell the business, but she continued to bake at home and make cakes for family and friends.

After becoming a Mother, Mum taught me and my sisters to bake and later taught cookery at our village school. I was often in the kitchen licking the beaters or watching Mum pour the cake mixture into the tins and as I grew up, baking was just something we did most days.

My sisters and I all became knowledgeable in the kitchen, whether it was main courses or desserts, we all shared the same passion and it really was down to my mother’s influence in our lives. I am truly blessed to have such influential women like my Mother and Grandmother to instil such great qualities in my life.

In my late teens, early twenties I fell in love with cake decorating and when I got engaged I decided to make my own wedding cake. I will never forget my Grandad’s comment when seeing the sugar flowers I made for the cake, “by ‘eck, she’s better than you Betty”. The flowers were not as good as Gran’s, but he saw the potential and I know if they both could see my work now, they would be so proud.

Much like my Gran, I couldn’t run this business without the support of my family.  

I have learnt that in this line of work you need a lot of support from people, whether it be from your spouse, or other family members, or friends and even customers, those people are key in whether you will succeed or not. I have made many mistakes but if it wasn’t for my family around me encouraging me and helping me, I think I would have given up along time ago.

It is now my turn to pass down the skills of baking to my children. Each one of them loves to cook and bake and add to our table of wonderful recipes, from Jack’s Beef Wellington and Lemon Blueberry cake to William’s Working Girl’s Pasta and Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies, and Amelia’s Victoria Sponge Cake, Shortbread and Rock Buns, they all contribute.  

When it comes to the business, my children and husband all help with orders. Usually bagging, sealing and labelling cookies, but they have all been able to grab a piping bag or paint brush and do detailed work on cookies and cakes. My husband and son deliver cakes and large cookie orders when I am unable to, due to other pressing orders. It truly is a team effort and without these precious people, Sweet Amelia’s wouldn’t be the successful business it is today.

And as most of you have worked out by now, I have one daughter in the middle of two fun boys. Her name is Amelia. As she grew, I had so many people tell me how sweet she is. Such a gentle, placid and quiet child. Sweet Amelia, she was called … and suddenly the name of my business was created.  Amelia is my little side kick who will puts her hand to every aspect of this business and who knows, maybe she will become the new owner of Sweet Amelia’s Bakery Art. The name fits so well.