Baking is back in fashion, Now cake maker Rachel Halls is aiming to delight the taste buds with her second shop.

Ipswich Star: The new BMC bakery and cake shop in Clapgate Lane, Ipswich Picture: DAVID VINCENTThe new BMC bakery and cake shop in Clapgate Lane, Ipswich Picture: DAVID VINCENT (Image: Archant)

Baking is on the rise and Ipswich cake maker Rachel Halls is aiming to delight the taste buds with her second shop.

Rachel, 31, opened her BMC Cakery in Woodbridge Road a year ago, baking a wide range of cakes and savouries but soon ran out of space.

She has now found a larger shop in Clapgate Lane, Ipswich and has spent a couple of months getting it ready for its launch.

"It has been hard work," she said, "baking during the day and working here evenings and weekends.

"Launching a new business is always exciting. I am excited and nervous at the same time.

"This is a lot larger than Woodbridge Road, where we ran out of space.

"It is great to see so many customers coming in. A lot of people have supported us in the past. So long as they support the business it will grow and keep people employed."

She has taken on four new staff for the expansion and the first customers at the new shop received slices of a Chocolate drip cake, Victorian sponge with butter cream and strawberry jam.

Rachel said her first foray into professional cake-making got off to a bumpy start: "Initially I started working from home in 2013 and opened my first shop in 2015 but ended up closing it.

"I didn't understand the hidden costs of running a business at the time. It was a steep learning curve."

She returned to other work, saved and put together her business plan to launch the Woodbridge Road bakery.

"This is real, traditional baking. We crack our own eggs, and mix all our flour and mix by hand with a whisk," she said.

"Nothing is frozen or shop bought. We use free range eggs from a local supplier and meat from a local butcher.

"We have a lot of pride in what we do. I am known for the big cakes I make for people for commissions for birthdays and celebrations. I have very high standards.

"We also have some really cool ideas for Christmas.

"We don't bake over night but every day. Everything is fresh. When people ask 'when was that cooked?' I can tell them exactly."