Baker Be – Passionate about Food & Family

Shine Your Light Podcast

Your Name & Business:

Beatrice (Be) Hulbert – Baker Be

Contact No: 07973 422978

Tell us a bit about you and your business::

Baker Be is all about getting kids cooking and learning about food. I offer kids cookery parties, cookery workshops and holiday clubs, educational cookery days for schools and entertainment for children at weddings (amongst other stuff – foody festivals, kids events…)
I run Baker Be on a part-time basis and also teach part time. I’m a mum of 2 boys age 7 and 10 who are fantastic. My big boy – Mr H – the hubby – is gorgeous too!

What’s going on with you right now?:

I recently did a talk and cookery demo at The Health & Wellness Fair at Newcastle Racecourse which was great for promoting Baker Be. I was able to talk about the philosophy behind my business. Visitors were really interested in my food which I had available for tasting. I’m currently creating recipes for treats for children which have a healthy twist. My recipes usually have an option to be dairy free/egg free due to my interest in intolerances/allergies (see next section). I’m also busy planning for my Easter holiday club at Hexham Abbey which offers children a day full of crafts and cookery with me.

What are you most passionate about/What brings you joy?:

As regards my business, I’m really passionate about getting kids cooking and learning about food and nutrition. If we can teach children basic cooking skills and about how to make the right choices to eat a balanced diet then they will have those skills for life. Very simple but VERY important.
I’m also really interested in food allergies/intolerances and developing child friendly recipes for children who are allergic to e.g. egg/dairy. This is because my son has an egg allergy and has had a very restricted diet in the past so I’ve had to ‘think out of the box’ as it were when it comes to his food and I wanted to make sure he didn’t miss out. Hopefully parents in similar circumstances will be able to use the recipes I post on my website.
Personally, spending time with my family, exercising and cooking/food bring me joy.

Which 3 things/factors would you say most contribute to feeling good?:

Being with my family – nothing better than a day out altogether eg bike ride and pub lunch (has to involve food somewhere along the line!).
I’m a big foodie and always eating so I balance this out with exercise. I do all sorts of classes – zumba, body attack, body pump and jogging/cycling. Now the weather is better I love to be outdoors.
Food! I love good food. Eating out and in with friends and family – nothing better!

Tell us about your routine or part of your routine you could not be without::

I don’t have a routine! Some days I’m teaching, some days I’m working at Baker Be, some days I’m doing mummy stuff. I always make time for exercise though as it makes me feel so much better – more energised.

Would you be willing to share details of a dark time in your life and how you overcame it?:

I’ve never really had one particular dark time. I’ve had periods of time when I’ve doubted myself and worried about my career. Am I doing the right thing setting up Baker Be at 42 years old? Is it too late? Am I earning enough money. Where is Baker Be going etc. I think all working mums have that same problem of balancing everything as we’re so busy with work, running the house, sorting out the kids etc. and sometimes it can get too much. I’m really lucky that I have a really close network of friends which I can ‘off load’ onto! We all support each other.

Are there any books that have made a big impact on your life?:

I can’t remember one particular book that has impacted my life. I love reading and am part of a book club so read all sorts of different types of books. I do love to read on holiday when I can really get stuck into a book and love a good story eg Joanna Trollop. I’m currently reading ‘All Quiet on the Orient Express’ by Magnus Mills – it’s actually set in the Lakes and apparently has dark undertones – I haven’t picked up on them yet! Also I love a cook book! I can spend hours reading recipes and looking at pictures – great for inspiration. I love books full of pictures – coffee table books. There is a brilliant one called Cabin Porn – it’s just full of the most amazing cabins from around the world. You can get completely lost in it. I’m going on holiday at Easter and I’m going to take ‘Teach Us to Sit Still’ by Tim Parks with me. Ironically, it’s been on my bedside table for about a year and I haven’t had time to read it!

What is your favourite quote?:

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well’ Virginia Woolf. It’s the first thing I wrote in my first Baker Be notebook when I was starting out.

How can our listeners get more information/contact you?:

website – www.bakerbe.co.uk
Twitter – bakerbe07
facebook – bakerbeservices
Ring me! I love to have a proper conversation – I’m a bit old fashioned like that!