Perthshire dog baker shows that anything is ‘pawsible’

About the business

Officially launched in late 2020, Mabel’s Bakery was born out of business owner Jeri Kelly’s love for her pure-white Staffordshire bull terrier, Mabel. After being furloughed from her job as a legal secretary in early 2020, Jeri filled her days by learning to bake delicious treats for her three-year-old pampered pooch. 

With the time to experiment with different flavours and recipes, Jeri developed a range of healthy and nutritious treats made from human-grade ingredients, naturally sweetened and coloured with fruit purées and powders. Spotting a gap in the local market, and with encouragement from her friends and family, Jeri began to share her dog treats on social media.  

How Business Gateway has helped

After setting up an Instagram account and Facebook page, Jeri quickly received an unexpected amount of interest in her products. She began receiving enquiries and requests for bespoke, made-to-order celebration cakes for dog’s birthdays and ‘gotcha’ days, to commemorate the special day owners first take their pooches home. Armed with a growing demand for her products but no business knowledge or experience, Jeri turned to Business Gateway for help and advice on how to take her passion project from concept to cash.  

Through Business Gateway’s start-up services, Jeri accessed regular 1:1 support from a dedicated business adviser, as well as specific advice on marketing, funding, and company regulations. Jeri was also able to benefit from Business Gateway’s ‘Go green to grow your business’ webinar, a virtual workshop dedicated to offering key tips on how to adopt more sustainable practices for your business.   

Jeri also received advice on costings and pet product manufacturing and labelling, which helped her price her products in line with other offerings on the market and introduce professional logos and labelling.  

With a newfound confidence in her ability to run a business, Jeri now regularly trades at markets and pop-up events across the country, selling the full Mabel’s Bakery product range, which includes doggy donuts and ‘pupcakes’. Jeri regularly shares her latest Mabel’s Bakery creations with her followers, which now stand at over 2,200. Many of her customers travel from all over Scotland to purchase her doggy delights, and, through her social media, she has even received orders for her birthday cakes from as far afield as England and Wales.  

Jeri Kelly, Owner, Mabel’s Bakery, said: “I am so glad I got in touch with Business Gateway. They have truly transformed my lockdown hobby into a proper business. I was overwhelmed with having to manage all the aspects of running and growing Mabel’s Bakery, something I really hadn’t expected when I first set it up in 2020. 

“My adviser knew I had no previous business experience and supported me every step of the way. She couldn’t have been more helpful. I am now much more confident in my business ability and would recommend Business Gateway to everyone.”