There is a fantastic quote by the famous American author, Dean Kootz, who says,

“Where there is cake, there is hope.

And there is always cake.”

Amen to that! Isn’t this a beautiful marriage of ideas; that baking and the sharing of food is all about connection and nurturing, not only the body but also the soul.

And what a wonderful gift it is to bake with our children. Not only do we create core memories of being in the kitchen with its warmth and delicious smells and passing down family recipes, but on a deeper level, baking makes sense: it has a beginning, middle and end and even if you make a mistake while baking, you can usually eat the results! I know not everyone loves to cook but for many mums, the hobby of baking is immeasurable. It can help us to have a moment of quiet and to use our hands to create something that feels meaningful. But more than that, food connects us to those we love.

Welcome to The Bigger Picture; a blog that is all about building NETWORK and CONNECTION. Each month, I feature a woman in small business within my community with the sole purpose of showing support, building solidarity and sharing stories of passion.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by incredible small businesses in the South West run by mums in their spare rooms or out in their gardens and they each have a unique story to be told; a BIGGER PICTURE to be discovered.

“I love to cook with my kids” says one mum.

“I love to take photos of my kids” I say.

“I love to make clothes for my kids” says another.

“I love to garden in the veggie patch with my kids” you might say.

It seems that so many small business mums start out with a hobby that is steeped in love and a need to create and nurture, which in turn becomes the basis for a solid foundation in the businesses we want to create.

My feature for March is a self-confessed crazy cookie lady, busy mum of three with a passion for baking. Everything she makes is made with real ingredients and of course, lots of love. I’m very happy to introduce you to…

Caitlin O’Grady

Coco Lane Cookies

Tell us about your business and what services you offer.

I am the crazy cookie lady responsible for @cocolanecookies. I bake theme/occasion sugar cookies for birthdays, events, weddings, engagements, baby showers – any event that requires a bit of sweetness really!

Cookie baking started out as a little hobby for me but then developed into a real passion. I have a pretty busy schedule, running after three kids and a four day a week job but thankfully I have a very supportive husband so my little love of cookies has been able to develop into a side business. Most of my cookie creating is done after hours when the kids are asleep and I find that making and decorating cookies is a nice down time for me.

Is there a story behind the name you chose?

The business is named after our Hungarian Vizsla fur baby ‘Coco’. We think the lane we live on should actually be called ‘Coco’s Lane’ because Coco loves to wander the lane often and visit all our lovely neighbours.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Like a lot of mums, my love of cooking grew when I started having a family. I love to cook with my kids and sharing that with others gives me joy. I also feel like decorating cookies is like a work of art and I’ve always loved art. I love scrolling through Insta, finding ideas and inspiration to make my own. It’s so exciting when potential clients send me a mood board or a copy of their party invitations which shows the colour scheme or theme they are going for, and then using that to create the cookies is really fun.

What is your favourite part of your job

Decorating the cookies is definitely my favourite part! But finishing an order and seeing it all come together, from idea concept, to colour blocking, to presentation boxing, it’s a great sense of accomplishment and I also love the positive feedback I get from a customer after they receive their order. So please share photos of your cookies on socials but don’t forget to tag #cocolanecookies - I love seeing them out in the wild being enjoyed.

What do you offer your clients that no one else does?

Being a busy mum, I understand the pressures of wanting to give your family gifts made with love. So, my homemade cookies are made with lots of love and, of course, my secret, yummy cookie recipe!

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt since starting your business?

Everything takes time. For me, it’s the first moment you get the ingredients, make the dough, chill the dough, bake the cookies, cool the cookies, decorate the cookies, dry the cookies, bag the cookies and then box them. It’s so time consuming. But if you have a passion for something and you feel starting a little business is something you want to do, then do it! Try it, see if it works and if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Do your research, check things out thoroughly with the local council, make sure you have trialled and errored, weighed up your costs and your time and make sure it is definitely for you. You’ll never regret trying!

Spending a morning with Caitlin in her kitchen was so great for my soul – the sink was full of dishes, there were crayons on the table, Peppa Pig was on the television in the background and a toddler was causing havoc in the pantry pulling out the Tupperware. Caitlin was the quintessential vision of a mum who is juggling it all and succeeding! Her cookies are divine! (I am definitely going to start creating a theme for Master 8’s next birthday for her to work her magic for party bag favours….I hope she does cowboys and nerf guns!!)

Edwina xx

If you have a party that is in need of some sugar cookies, or you just want to give the gift of something sweet and special, give Caitlin a follow (and your support) on her social media page…

Instagram: @cocolanecookies