Gullion Bakery rises to the challenge
Setting up a brand-new business is no easy feat, with a host of factors to consider. However, entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland remains strong and determination and a unique selling point go a long way, as Thomas Roffey, owner of Gullion Bakery tells NR.
With a well-established background in the bakery industry and a wealth of experience ranging from Dublin Airport to Australia via Skinny Batch Bakery, Thomas Roffey was not short on eagerness, determination and drive to open his own business.
As a head pastry chef in Australia for a time, he realised this was something he wanted to do himself, with a dream to open his own bakery. In 2024, he returned home to do just that, establishing Gullion Bakery with his father.
And despite a somewhat rocky start, Gullion Bakery is thriving and earlier this year, Thomas and his father opened a second outlet, in Newry city – Golden Fold. As Thomas told NR, he set out to do achieve something his competitors weren’t.
“What we are doing is different from our competitors, we are doing deliveries seven days a week and we are making seven days a week. We are making all our products fresh each day and we can bring those directly to our customers every day,” said Thomas.
All products sold in Gullion Bakery and Golden Fold are handmade, using fresh ingredients, with Thomas and his team making the pastry from scratch each morning.
“There is nowhere within 50km of us doing anything like that, so it’s very unique,” added Thomas. “That is a really good selling point for us.
“People are pleased with the quality of the goods we are baking; they are getting used to what we are doing, which is trying to disrupt people’s habits.”
Building up a core customer base and establishing an ever-growing list of wholesale clients, Thomas acknowledged the very early days left him unsure as to whether he had made the right decision.
“It was really hard and difficult to get set up. We had a limited budget and we did as much of the work ourselves as we could to the best of our ability, and they were long hard days at the start.
“People tell you it will be hard, but they were 15-16 hour-days, six days a week. It really does test you, but after a while it makes it all worthwhile and it is paying off.
“At the very start after we opened, we were very quiet, nobody really knew we were there and I remember sitting with my dad looking at an empty shop on a Saturday afternoon and wondering if we had done the right thing. But soon people started to get to know us and discover what we do, we have built up that customer base, but it does take time to build your name and reputation.
“It is quite daunting to do something like this. It’s scary to take all your savings and try to set something up,” he added.
“You are wondering if people are going to come and for the first while they didn’t come, but we are very busy now and it was all worth it. We are very busy now supplying a lot of wholesale goods, coffee shops are wanting to buy fresh, top-quality items and we can deliver those to them every day.”
Having set up in 2024, Thomas couldn’t have foreseen what was to come in the Autumn Budget, with SMEs particularly hard hit with increasing National Insurance contributions and rising wage bills. With a dedicated team of 16 staff employed, he told NR he has tried to take on those challenges as best he can.
“Rising wage costs are certainly difficult and something that I was not ready for when I first opened Gullion Bakery. It is going to be the smaller businesses who are going to take the hit with those wage bills,” he said.
“It is an easy way for the government to raise money, and the tough part of that is the National Insurance contributions, it makes the difference between everything going well and being just above water.”
With a commitment to focusing on fresh, quality products, Thomas added that he always has a close eye on the latest trends or hits in the food sector.
“Trends move so fast, but I would love to lead the charge with pastries. We have more different products and we are trying to make it a bit more special.”
Having attended and took part in IFEX earlier this year, Thomas said it was an experience he really enjoyed.
“It was something different. I am not used to being in front of the camera like that, and I have to say I would love to do something more like that in the future. It was also good for the business as I could show those attending the quality of what we are doing.
“We recently just hit our maximum capacity in terms of what we can make for our wholesale distribution,” he added.
“It is great for the business and great that our name and reputation is out there now but that does mean working 16-17 hour-days, six days a week for two to three months, which a lot of people do not see going on behind the scenes. So, I have just hired someone to take that load off me.
“People don’t see the 2.30am starts and the work that has been done before you even open your doors. Social media does help with that as we can show some of what we do. But it’s still quite frustrating, as we do have people coming in and asking where we get our pastry from. We are showing them this way that we can making it fresh ourselves every day, we want them to see the process step by step and to appreciate that.”
