Inverness woman ready to take on Valentine's Day with her postal bake box delivery service

An Inverness local’s postal bake box delivery service is on hand to provide Highland residents with a selection of handmade sweet treats this Valentine’s Day.

Bake Box Highland uses premium, locally-sourced and quality ingredients to create its curated range of products, which include Nutella chocolate brownies, red velvet white chocolate cookies and salted caramel shortbread.

Louise West, founder and owner of Bake Box Highland, started baking as a teenager when she helped her mum and dad out in the kitchen. With a background in the food, drink and hospitality industry, and with encouragement from friends and family, Louise set up Bake Box Highland in May 2023, on a mission to bring her passion for baking with local residents.

She said: "When it was my son's first birthday, I went to a baker with the idea and they replicated it.

"I just thought, 'I can do that'. So I made his cake for his second birthday, and for my sisters after this.

"I then just got completely obsessed with baking and decorating, and was getting lots of requests from friends and family. I decided to set up my website and it's just gone from there really."

Louise accessed a suite of start-up support from Business Gateway to help start her business, including one-to-one guidance from a dedicated adviser, as well as advice on her business plan, company regulations and funding.

Thanks to signposting from Business Gateway Highland, Louise also accessed a start-up grant from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which helped her purchase the office equipment she needed to get started.

Louise is now on a mission to turn her online business into a physical one, and has set up a crowdfunding campaign to fund a catering van that would allow her to cater for the local community at various events.

She added: “If it wasn’t for the help and support from Business Gateway Highland, I wouldn’t be in the position that I am in now. The support I received and the help with my business plan demonstrated that I had a viable business idea, and my adviser was really encouraging throughout the process.

“I am really looking forward to celebrating my first Valentine’s Day as a business owner, and hope the range of handmade goodies prove popular with the locals.

"I hope to one day have my catering pod, and be able to take my son on as a member of staff too."

Dianne Swanepoel, Business Gateway Highland adviser, said: “Everyone loves a sweet treat at this time of year, and whether you’re celebrating with a significant other, friends, or treating yourself, Bake Box Highland is on hand with its delicious goodies.

“I’ve really enjoyed supporting Louise over the past year, and watching her vision become a reality.”

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