Run your own bakery at the age of twenty in a busy shopping street. For most people it stays with a dream, but Stijn van Seters made it true. At the Ginnekenstraat in Breda he opened Stijn’s Bakery at the beginning of this month, a pastry shop.
The young bakery started at home in Teteringen in the kitchen of his parents. He baked cakes for family and friends. “That became more and more and bigger,” says Stijn in the talk show of Omroep Brabant on Friday. His passion became increasingly serious and so he followed a bakery training. He also won prizes with different professional competitions.
With a lot of saving, long working days and help from his landlord and the municipality, he made the move to his own bakery. He makes long days: from Tuesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. “Those are good days. And on Monday I do the administration and deliveries that come in. That’s how we keep doing,” he grins.
More than just baking
But Stijn does more than just baking. He sells his products himself in the store and supplies catering customers. “I also enjoy helping customers in the store.” There is hardly any time for a social life. “I sometimes try to eat out, but it won’t be crazy things anymore.” Even with the flu or cold, he continues. “Two paracetamoles in it and go.”
He doesn’t do it on his own: his good friend Kiara works with him full -time. “Only I can’t do it and I don’t want it, because then it would be a lonely existence.”
Kiara likes to work for and with Stijn. “I don’t see him as a boss,” she says. “He can very well say what I do and don’t do well, but I only learn from that.” She is also in the bakery six days a week. “I don’t see it as working, I like to go to work and make everyone happy.” She doesn’t want to become a co-owner. “No, Stijn is really and it remains from Stijn. I would like to work for him.”
Tap
Social media plays a major role. Tiktok in particular ensures a crime. “80 percent of customers come by Tiktok.” An article in the newspaper brought another older audience to the store. “That’s how we have every target group, that’s super fun.”
The greatest public favorite? The raspberry shoe. “With raspberry mousse and lemon crème brûlée. It looks beautiful.” But the croissants, New York Rolls and iced coffee are also doing well and are of course all home -made by Stijn himself.