Cripps Bakehouse owner says giving up her day job was the best thing ever

Challenging, rewarding, but a lot of hard work. That’s how one bakery owner describes running her small business, after leaving the comfort of a government job. READ HER INSPIRING STORY >>

Linda Free's Cripps Bellerive Bakehouse has been nominated as one of Tasmania's best bakeries. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

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CHALLENGING, rewarding, but lots of hard work.

That’s how Linda Free describes giving up a comfortable job to branch out and buy a small business. But she’s never looked back.

Ms Free has owned Cripps Bakehouse, Bellerive for the past 14 months – and it’s been a baptism of fire.

“We took over a very successful business from the previous owners, who had put it into a fantastic place,” she said.

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“Unfortunately corona(virus) hit, so it’s been challenging, but we also have wonderful staff – and we kept all the staff, they’ve pretty much carried the business for us which has been fantastic so we owe a lot to our staff.”

Cripps Bellerive Bakehouse has been nominated as one of Tasmania's best bakeries. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

And it all started because of a midlife crisis.

“I worked for the Commonwealth Government, I worked for Centrelink for 21 years and decided my husband and I would buy a business in our forties,” Ms Free laughed.

“I don’t know what we were thinking but it’s the best thing we ever did, I wish we had of made the decision earlier.”

The decision wasn’t without its perils though, with two teenage children to care for.

“It was a huge risk and a huge life decision, it was very scary when the coronavirus … when we went into those hard stage three and four restrictions, we thought we were going to go under and lose the business,” Ms Free said.

Linda Free's Cripps Bellerive Bakehouse has been nominated as one of Tasmania's best bakeries. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Customers turn out in droves for the store’s doughnuts and pies – and another special treat not usually found at bakeries.

“Our bestsellers are our doughnuts, of course, and we make all our bread here on-site, we don’t buy any bread in which is quite unusual for bakeries,” Ms Free said.

“We do custard, Nutella, and jam filled doughnuts and we only charger $1.50 each for them, so they’re very well priced compared to other, more commercial places.

“We still make all our pies here, they’re made on site, we also do a bit of a spin-off, we do hot chips here – and they are one of the most famous hot chips in Hobart.

“We have our secret season salt, that’s what everyone comes for with the chips.”

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