FROM converting her laundry into a home kitchen to setting up shop in Mt Hawthorn, Floreat baker May Tapley will this year celebrate 15 years of success with her business Spirals Cinnamon.
Ms Tapley has been baking and selling an extensive range of cinnamon buns for more than a decade.
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READ NOW“We sell eight standard toppings and weekly specials, vegan cinnamon buns, savoury mitey cheese buns, the American based buttercream cheese buns, the Scandinavian inspired Cardamom buns, mini cinnamon scrolls and of course the Par Baked buns which you can grab and make at home anytime,” Ms Tapley said.
Ms Tapley said 15 years of business had been long and winding, with many lessons learned along the way.
She said the key to Spirals Cinnamon’s success had been understanding what her customers want.
“I used to bake the buns for my family when we moved back to Perth after living in the USA for five years, where we discovered the treats at Cinnabon,” she said.
“Cinnabon were a favourite at our USA home so I decided to see how popular they could be in Perth.”
In 2004, Ms Tapley approached a few cafes around the city with her sweet products.
“Subiaco Farmers market was my first retail venture and from there I got to know Perth Upmarket and I’ve been with them ever since,” she said.
After doing years of markets, wholesale to school canteens and Perth cafes, as well as private orders, Ms Tapley decided to open a shop front in North Perth in 2017 to meet an increasing demand that ‘kicked’ her out of her home kitchen.
Ms Tapley said it took her a while to set up a shop front because she wanted to make sure her business grew with her two sons and gave her the ability to bake while being a mum.
“Start small and test your market,” she said.
“If you have a dream of starting a business, don’t be afraid to slowly turn your idea into a reality, otherwise you’ll always wonder if it can succeed.”
Spirals Cinnamon will set up a stall front at UWA’s Perth Upmarket this Sunday, where they will release their newest flavour sticky maple pecan.
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