HOW TO OPEN

Person with long braids holding a spoon over a bowl of dark chocolate batter in a kitchen

A BAKERY, WITHOUT OPENING A PHYSICAL SHOP

written by Lungi Mhlanga

Build a baking business. Skip the bakery.

No shop, no expensive lease, no unnecessary overheads. Just a practical guide to launching and growing a profitable bakery business with everything I’ve learnt from over a decade in the industry.

Everything you need to launch, run and grow your own bakery business, without opening a shop.

  • 200+ pages of practical business advice.

  • 20 downloadable templates, including food safety & hygiene documents, fire risk assessments, production planners and more.

  • Ready-to-use costing spreadsheet with built-in formulas to help you price your products, calculate profit margins and stay profitable.

  • My recommended suppliers for ingredients, equipment and packaging.

  • Step-by-step guidance on launching your bakery, building a brand and finding customers.

  • Corporate orders & wholesale: who to approach, how to pitch and what to charge.

  • Real business advice from almost a decade of experience, including the mistakes I've made and what I'd do differently.

Person in a blue checkered apron holding a chocolate-glazed, sprinkle-covered cake on a serving stand

What I Did

I'm Lungi Mhlanga, a Forbes 30 Under 30 chef, recipe developer, content creator and food entrepreneur with almost a decade of experience in the industry.

I launched my first food business, Treats Club, in 2017, selling my very first doughnut at Chatsworth Road Market in 2018. What started as a market stall grew into a six-figure food business, securing corporate orders and working with brands including Nike, Barbie, Netflix, Apple TV, Google, Amazon, ASOS, Selfridges, Calvin Klein, YouTube, the NBA, NFL and Soho House, as well as trading at some of the UK's biggest events, including Lost Village, Soho House Festival, DLT The Recipe and City Splash.

In 2023, I opened my first physical bakery, which I went on to close in 2024. Since then, I've built a six-figure career as a content creator and recipe developer, whilst also mentoring other food business owners.

I've experienced pretty much every side of running a food business, from market stalls and corporate catering to festivals, physical retail and building a brand online. Now I'm sharing everything I've learnt along the way.

Woman in a denim apron eating a sprinkle-covered chocolate donut in a rustic kitchen, with more donuts on a cake stand.