A bakery in Co Tyrone is proving to be a hit on social media after only opening its doors less than two years ago.
Rosie’s Cookstown was set up by Rosie Doyle, from Draperstown, after she quit her office job to take up her passion of baking sweet treats.
Then just 24, Rosie first started from her home before moving into her first unit at the Derryloran Industrial Estate in the Co Tyrone town at the end of 2019.
Such was the growth of the business since then, Rosie has had to move into larger premises in the estate and hire four staff members to cope with demand.
Rosie’s now has more than 15,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares some of her popular treats, which are all made from scratch.
“People are always asking me how do I get so many people following us and I really don’t know!” Rosie told MyTyrone.
“It just sort of happened. It is busy definitely, and it’s just funny because it all happened by accident.
“I was baking all throughout school and university and even did a Masters. I got a job in an office working Monday to Friday, nine to five and I hated it.
“I quit then in May 2019 and said I would just bake at home until I found something else, but I never looked back.
“In October of that year I signed for my first unit and then I did the Twilight market at St George’s in Belfast and it just took off from there.”
Covid-19 arrived shortly afterwards which put a spanner in the works, but Rosie soon found success in sending out deliveries and takeaway treats for those stuck at home.
“I thought I had made the biggest mistake ever and I closed until June, but I did postal orders so that nobody had to leave their house to get them," she said.
“I was doing about 450 parcels a week at one stage and they were going out all across Ireland and even to the UK.
“I opened the shop again in June and there were queues out the door, it was just mental.
“I opened the new shop there in May of this year and we are opened more days, have a bigger bakery and more staff.”
Making everything from scratch is the secret to Rosie’s success so far, she said.
“Our slogan is ‘every batch made from scratch’ and we do pull on that a lot," she said.
“Thankfully it has all worked well so far and we can continue being successful.”
