“I didn’t imagine this would be an actual career, I’m still pinching myself!”
For Jax Clibborn, this perfectly sums up how she feels about her new venture.
The mum-of-two has just opened Beachside Bakes in Balmedie, a stone’s throw away from the village’s famous rolling dunes.
And it’s hard to disagree with her, when you realise that her recently opened bakery was actually a garage just five months ago.
So upon hearing about this exciting new addition to Balmedie, I headed down to Beachside Bakes for a chat with Jax, and heard firsthand about:
- How she dropped the N in banking to follow her dreams
- The hard work that went into converting a disused garage into a brownie-haven
- How she is “blessed” to be embraced with village spirit
- And what she has in store for the future of Beachside Bakes
North-east baking family is where it all started
Jax is originally from the central belt, moving to Aberdeen in the 2000s to study at Aberdeen University.
But despite coming from outside Glasgow, Jax’s love for baking lies firmly in the north-east.
“I come from a baking family, especially on my mum’s side,” the 39-year-old tells me.
“My granny Ali was from Peterhead originally, and she was an absolute baker!
“There are quite a few children on that side of the family, so I think she just baked huge batches of everything for us.”
And the years spent baking with her mum and granny still influence Beachside Bakes, with “old school” recipes on offer.
“I grew up baking with my granny and my mum, who learned everything from her,” Jax said.
“The tablet, which does really well, is granny’s tablet.
“It’s old school Peterhead tablet, no condensed milk involved… Proper tablet!”
From counting dough to rolling dough
But despite her childhood being entrenched in tablet and cookies, the 39-year-old hasn’t always been a baker by trade.
She tells me: “I’ve had lots of different jobs, baking wasn’t part of any of them.
“I’ve got a degree in accounting and finance, and most of my working career has been in that field.
“I was a banker for a few years, then went to work with my dad at his accounting business.
“I’m good with numbers but it doesn’t keep me engaged, so I’ve always done crafty bits and pieces on the side.”
So instead of using her maths skills to balance the books, Jax still put them to good use, to balance ingredients instead.
How she turned passion into profession
It all started five years ago, when the baking-bonkers Balmedie mum was asked to bake a cake for a 65th birthday in the village.
“That’s how it all took off,” The mum-of-two reminisces.
“I did one for my friend and they really enjoyed it, then I just kept doing more and more.
“During Covid I did personalised cupcakes which was a great hit in the village.
“People who weren’t able to see each other were able to deliver little messages through my baking.
“It was going really well and I was really enjoying it, but it hadn’t been on purpose to make that my main business.”
And what started out as just “bits and pieces” has led all the way to Jax having her own brick and mortar bakery in Balmedie.
Luckily for her the commute isn’t too far… just outside her front door!
Where did garage conversion idea come from?
Beachside Bakes had been a roaring success throughout the village, with Balmedie locals knowing exactly where to go for birthday cakes or other sweet treats.
So successful in fact that Jax had actually outgrown her kitchen…
The 39-year-old baker tells me: “My house has quite a small kitchen, it’s an old style house so it’s quite compact.
“Over the last few years it’s got busier and busier.
“To the point where if I’ve got loads of cakes on, my kids are eating rubbish for the week because the whole kitchen is taken over!
“And we had this single detached garage out to the front, and I thought this could really work.”
And that’s where Jax realised her dream of having her own bakery could actually become a reality.
From garage to Beachside Bakes in just four months
Despite finding it quite daunting to begin with, in March this year Jax set out to put her garage to good use in fulfilling her long time ambition.
So out came the tape measure, as she meticulously drew up plans for her marzipan mecca.
“I meticulously had everything measured,” The Balmedie baker laughs.
“Everything was exactly where it was measured up to go on my big drawing plan.”
And sitting inside Beachside Bakes, surrounded by walls bursting with colour, and the sensational waft of freshly baked treats, it’s hard to believe this was once just a garage.
So four months on from constant trips to B&Q, and “Mr Beachside” converting the garage door into a welcoming shopfront, how has Beachside Bakes been received?
‘Blown away by the support’
With all the hard work done, it was now time for Jax to open the doors, and hope that the people of Balmedie would flock for a taste of her irresistible brownies.
And so far, they have came in their droves to support the local bakery.
“I’ve just been blown away by the support and reception I’ve received so far,” the mum-of-two smiles.
“So many people have came by. Locals, tourists, people from all over Aberdeenshire.
“People are always walking past giving me a wave and telling me how much they’ve enjoyed it.
“There’s just such a good relationship between the people and the businesses in the village.”
Beachside Bakes ‘really blessed’ to have community spirit
And with being located in a tight-knit community such as Balmedie, it was a guarantee that locals would have Jax’s back and do everything they can to help.
Beaming at the village spirit, Jax tells me: “All the businesses here have the same attitude of recommending all of our customers to each other.
“There’s a real mutual support in the village.”
Have you stopped by Beachside Bakes yet? Let us know in our comments section below
What’s on the cards for Beachside Bakes?
As we finish up our chat and families pass by to make the most of a sunny day at Balmedie Beach, I ask what the future holds for Beachside Bakes.
With a cheery grin, The 39-year-old lets me know it’s all about keeping up with the demand for her city-and-shire-famous brownies.
As Jax boxes up her latest batch of cakes, she adds: “I’ve already got people clamouring for me to open on a Sunday, so we may do Sunday afternoons.
“I’m looking forward to the winter, with the Christmas season and events like Bonfire Night.
“We will make an event of those, a big massive pot of hot chocolate on the go with loads and loads of brownies!”
And with this image making me want winter to hurry up already, I can only imagine Jax’s big ambitions such as this can see Beachside Bakes’ success continue, one brownie at a time.
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