We Mean Business: Demand continues to grow following first six months for this Northamptonshire business facing ‘nightmare’ costs
The demand continues to grow for this new Northamptonshire independent following its first six months in business, as the owner shares her concern over “nightmare” costs.
Launched at the start of February, the Chronicle & Echo’s new campaign hopes to help curb future business closures after a bleak start to 2026.
The twice-weekly stories spotlight what Northampton stands to lose if your favourite businesses were to close down, highlight the biggest challenges they currently face, and encourage greater support from the powers that be and the community before it is too late.
Bee Chadha, founder and owner of thriving eggless home bakery Bee Bakes, spoke to this newspaper for the tenth instalment of We Mean Business.
Bee took a leap of faith after being made redundant and now produces completely eggless creations in Towcester, which cater for the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire communities.
The custom cakes and treats are available for collection and local delivery, and the business supplies to a growing selection of cafes, restaurants and play cafes. Bee has also expanded into vegan and gluten-free creations to cater to more preferences and allergies.
Let’s take a look at what Bee had to say…
How would you summarise your experience of running an independent business in Northampton at the moment?
“We’ve been going as a family-run business for six months now and it’s been good,” she said. “I was solely an egg-free bakery and the demand has grown for gluten-free and vegan bakes.
“It’s been very intense but good intense. I’m learning on the job and I can see there’s a gap in the market. I want to fill it with high-end, quality products.
“I’d never baked vegan or gluten-free before and that’s something that’s evolved. I now stock five businesses and there are more to come. Businesses are approaching me because of word of mouth.”
What are the biggest challenges you currently face as a business owner, and what impact do these have on the daily running of your venture?
Bee said: “Costs are a nightmare at the minute, especially for gluten-free bakes. Getting gluten-free flour and the rising costs of ingredients is a big challenge. Keeping the bakes affordable for the community is a balance.
“Some ingredients are not readily available in supermarkets and with the surge in gluten-free orders from wholesale partners, I had to delay orders once when I couldn’t get the flour. I’ve never had these challenges before and now I’ve done a bulk order so the high-end quality allergen bakes are readily available.”
What do you believe Northampton stands to lose if your business were to close down? What unique offerings do you bring to the town that would be sorely missed?
“It would have a real impact on the community,” said Bee. “We provide for the allergen market and it would be a loss for locals. They’d miss out on eggless, vegan and gluten-free options. We’ve expanded to Northampton, Daventry, Weedon and Brackley.”
What small actions can our readers and the Northampton community take to support your business in 2026?
Bee concluded: “It’s all about word of mouth. Give new businesses a go rather than sticking to what you know. People get to know you through social media.”
Bee Bakes has just started a new collaboration with The Reading Tree in Weedon and after both businesses posted about it on social media, Bee saw an influx of new people follow and interact with her page – which can only be a good thing as the venture continues to grow.