Jim McGill founded Lovely Rita’s Bakehouse in Stag Works in 2022. He makes vegan pastries and long-fermentation breads for wholesalers and markets, based on the principles of sustainable and slow food taught at the School of Artisan Food.
“It’s very early days as I started Lovely Rita’s about six months ago. A couple of friends have been helping with the odd shift, and I’ve just taken someone on for two shifts per week, but we’re still in the launch phase. I sell wholesale mostly, and I have a few good customers in town.
“I graduated in video game design, but when I was about 25 or so, I started working in a kitchen and decided I wanted to be a chef. I did an advanced baking diploma at the School of Artisan Food on the Wellbeck Estate; quite a lot of bakers in Sheffield have been through the school. The course lasted a year and I learnt how to do things properly. I worked in a few bakeries over the next few year, including in Birmingham and Leeds, but then I came back to Sheffield. I was looking at a unit for my own bakery before Covid hit, then I saw this unit in January and thought there was never going to be a ‘perfect’ time - it was now or never!
“Stag Works is not too far from town and it has lots of character. There are musicians, artists, makers and interesting little businesses here. It’s a really nice place; the neighbours are lovely and the rates are very reasonable. I have sold my pastries and breads at events like markets, and the next step is to do pop-ups at the Works. I have been so busy baking, I haven’t had time to plan ahead, but I have seen this year as a pre-launch stage and I hope to fully launch in the new year.
“I have been vegan for about five or six years, since not long after I finished the course. I develop vegan versions of things and it was the goal to make things that are not overtly vegan. One of the wholesalers told me a customer had said: “That’s not vegan!”, so you wouldn’t know unless you were told. I mostly do pastries but I make breads as well and I love making sourdough bread - mainly things that ferment overnight. I use the fridge and slow down the process, to develop the flavour and texture. A lot of artisans mix dough days in advance. It takes time to do a slow-food dough version.
“On Sunday (December 4), the day after Small Business Saturday, I will be at the Sharrow Vale Christmas Market, where I have good support.”
More info: https://lovelyritasbakehouse.co.uk/
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