In this week’s Trading Stories Michael Hassett, baker and owner of Hassett’s talks of his plans to open a new cafe on Washington Street next week.
*Tell us about the history of the business?
I started it off myself in 1984. I started in Douglas, where we had a bakery in the old mill in Donnybrook. Then we opened our first shop in the old Douglas shopping centre. Then we opened a cafe in Carrigaline. We moved around a bit, and then expanded and built the a new bakery on the Crosshaven Road, where we have been for 21 years. It was a small business until we moved to Carrigaline. That’s when it really took off. At the moment we are also based in the English Market, and have a restaurant in Crosshaven. We also have a big wholesale business, supplying restaurants and cafes in across the city.
*How did you become a baker?
I was originally a chef. I came back to Ireland after being in Holland for a few years, but I found the work wasn’t well paid enough, so I started my own business. It was much easier to start a small business then. There wasn’t as much red tape, or financing needed. You could start from absolutely nothing. The first few years were a struggle, then we got known a bit more. We started building up a big customer base. It takes time. You have to be patient.
*Are you more of a baker or a businessman these days?
My job has changed quite a bit. I used to work 15- to 18-hour days, six days a week. I still put in a lot of hours but now I’m more focused on the business side. All together we employ in excess of 60 people. We have a lot of talented bakers and pastry chefs. I trust them, and I try not to interfere. I do miss it at times though. To get away from the pressure of running the business, I used to go into the bakery and bake a cake or a some bread. It’s very therapeutic.
*Where do the ideas for your stock come from?
A lot of it is trial and error in the bakery. That’s one of the benefits of having a bakery the size that we do. We will trial something in the for quite a while before going to customers. The basic recipes can remain the same, but the combinations of ingredients and shapes can change. We started making our own chocolates and biscuits, and we’ve recently started into ice creams and sorbet. We’re constantly testing new ideas. It’s fantastic to see some of the younger people we employ being as passionate as I was when I started. There are a lot of young people out there with super ideas.
*Tell us about your customers.
The wholesale customers are all small cafés and restaurants. We like doing business with people like that – small business owners. On the other side we have generations of people coming back to us. We’ve made christening cakes for some kids years ago, and now we’re making christening cakes for their kids.
*Have trends in baking changed over the last 30 years?
People’s tastes have changed radically. They want to see good quality bread and good quality pastry. We we started it was always the same big family cake.
Everyone was happy to eat the same cake.
Now we sell a lot of different tops. Even with a box of pastries, people want a variety of types. People are going abroad a lot more, and they want to see the same thing on shelves here as they see there. France has been a big influence on us.
*What are your own favourites?
I like the baguettes and the sourdoughs that we make. My own palate has changed a bit over the years. I still like the breakfast pastries, even though I should be avoiding them more than I do.
*Was the recession tough on you?
It was quite tough, but not nearly as tough as it was for others. I started during a recession, and the same thing happened then.
We offer an affordable luxury, something that people could always afford. We offer value for money, which is what people are after. They don’t just want something cheap, they want something that’s value for their money.
*What is your busiest time of year?
Christmas is definitely the busiest time for cakes and bread. St Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ Day and Easter would all be very busy times for chocolates. Now that we’ve gone into ice cream we’re had a busy summer.
*What’s your favourite part of your job?
Just watching people come into the coffee shop and seeing their enjoyment. That me for is one of the best parts.
*What’s your least favourite part?
Any of the things I don’t like, I don’t do. I’ve held every job in here as the business has grown, and then I hire someone to take it over from me. But I don’t think there is any parts I totally disliked. I wouldn’t be too great on the office side of things, but I still do a lot of it.
*What’s in the future for Hassett’s?
We have a new shop opening on Washington Street the week after next. It’s based on the shop we have in Carrigaline. That’s what we plan on doing in the future, expanding that side of the business a bit more. We are looking at opening a few more shops in the Cork area. We are looking at Douglas, where we started off, and at Bishopstown and Ballincollig.