Kettering sisters realise their dream as they prepare to open bakery and cafe

Amy and Alex Hudson-Jones are getting ready for the launch of Sugarbush Bakery in Market Street having picked up the keys to their unit.

The duo are known for their chocolate brownies and are now preparing to serve them and other home-made goods to customers in the town centre.

Amy, 31, said: “We have wanted to do this for as long as we can remember.

"We decided that this was the year that we are going to go for it – life’s too short.”

The bakery and cafe’s name pays homage to Amy and Alex’s late grandfather, who was South African. The sugarbush is another name for a protea – a native South African flower – and both sisters have a tattoo of it.

They’ll be serving home-made brunches, lunches, sandwiches, traybakes, cookie pies and cakes, as well as gluten-free and vegan treats, all baked in their on-site kitchen.

It’s hoped that Sugarbush Bakery will welcome its first customers in the second or third week of July, offering dine-in and takeaway options, and it will be open from Tuesday to Saturday.

The sisters used to run The Beeswing and Alex, who does most of the baking, has worked in the catering industry for a while at pubs and a cafe.

For Amy it’s a career change, having worked in recruitment for the past six years, but one she’s looking forward to. It will be a real family effort with their dad Greg offering to help with deliveries if the business takes off and mum Toni helping out with paperwork and general jobs.

Amy said: “I am really excited. It’s been a dream of ours for years and 2024 has been my f*** it year so when we saw the opportunity for this unit come up we went for it.”

Alex, 28, added: “I’m excited but a bit nervous as well. There’s a lot of places in town where people can choose from so we have got to stand out and I think we will – everything here will be home-made.”