What started as a love of baking and a dream of creating something around family life has grown into a thriving independent bakery in Over Wallop, with five-star food hygiene recognition and products now being stocked by local businesses.
For Hannah Nicel, owner of Soulcozy Kitchen, the journey into running her own bakery began with a simple idea: to create something personal, welcoming and rooted in the local community.
A mum of two, stepmum to three and wife, Hannah wanted to turn her passion for baking into a business that could work around family life while bringing homemade bread and treats to people across the Andover area.
But what began as a small venture from her home kitchen has steadily developed into a growing business, supplying individual customers, farm shops and a local café.
“I never set out thinking I’d be running a bakery. I just decided to give it a go, registered the business and started learning everything from scratch,” Hannah explained.
“Being based in Over Wallop was a huge part of that. I love the community here and wanted Soulcozy to feel like a village bakery in the truest sense, where you know the person who made your bread and where your food has come from.”
Building a business from the ground up
Unlike many businesses that launch with investment or financial backing, Soulcozy Kitchen was built gradually, with Hannah purchasing equipment and supplies as she could afford them.
With no previous experience of running a food business, she quickly discovered that being a successful baker involved considerably more than producing delicious bread.
From food safety regulations and allergen management to pricing, packaging, marketing and customer service, Hannah had to learn almost every aspect of running a business herself.
“When you’re a one-person business, you’re the baker, cleaner, photographer, social media manager, delivery driver, customer service team and accountant all at once!” she said.
The journey has not always been straightforward, with busy periods followed by quieter weeks, but Hannah says each customer, market and new opportunity has helped her develop confidence in what she is building.
Sourdough, garlic dough balls and homemade favourites
At the heart of Soulcozy Kitchen is Hannah’s passion for sourdough.
Her growing menu includes traditional sourdough loaves, flavoured breads, focaccia and a selection of homemade sweet and savoury treats.
Among the most popular products are garlic and cheese sourdough, jalapeño and cheese sourdough, garlic and rosemary focaccia, cookies, brownies, pizza kits and garlic dough balls.
There is also Hannah’s tear-and-share sourdough star, while her personal favourite remains the garlic, parsley butter and cheese sourdough.
“It’s one of those bakes that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible!” she said.
The garlic dough balls have become a particular customer favourite, with people regularly returning to order products they have discovered through the bakery.
For Hannah, seeing customers enjoy something she has created from scratch is one of the most rewarding parts of running Soulcozy.
“I think that’s one of my favourite parts of the business, when something I created in my own kitchen becomes something a customer looks forward to ordering again.”
Five-star food hygiene recognition
A significant milestone for the business came when Soulcozy Kitchen received a five-star food hygiene rating following its most recent inspection by Test Valley Borough Council.
The achievement was particularly meaningful for Hannah, who has worked hard to establish professional food safety standards while operating as a small independent bakery from home.
Behind every loaf and homemade treat is a considerable amount of preparation and administration.
Cleaning schedules, temperature checks, allergen controls, stock rotation and food safety records are all part of Hannah’s daily responsibilities.
The inspection covered food handling, cleanliness and the management of food safety, with Soulcozy Kitchen achieving the highest possible rating.
“The five-star rating meant a huge amount to me. I was incredibly proud of it,” Hannah said.
“When you’re running a food business from home, there’s a huge amount of responsibility behind the scenes that customers don’t necessarily see.
“It’s a lot of work, particularly when you’re doing everything yourself, but food safety has always been something I’ve taken very seriously.”
The reality of running a bakery around family life
While customers might see freshly baked bread and tempting treats appearing on social media, the reality behind the scenes can involve some very early starts.
On particularly busy baking days or ahead of markets, Hannah can be in the kitchen from as early as 3am.
While the rest of the household sleeps, she is preparing dough, shaping loaves and working through customer orders.
Then, as the morning progresses, it is straight into the school run and the responsibilities of family life.
“There probably isn’t really a typical day!” Hannah admitted.
“Some mornings start at 3am, particularly when I have a big bake or market coming up. I’ll be in the kitchen while the rest of the house is asleep, getting dough ready, shaping loaves and working through orders.”
Despite the challenges, Hannah says her children have become an important part of the Soulcozy journey.
They have joined her at markets, helped with deliveries and witnessed the hard work involved in building a business.
“They are my biggest supporters, and it means so much to me that they can see what I’m building and be part of it.
“It’s definitely a juggle, and I’m still learning how to balance everything, but Soulcozy has become something that belongs to our whole family in a way.”
From home kitchen to local farm shops and cafés
Soulcozy Kitchen has now taken another significant step forward, moving beyond individual customer orders and into wholesale supply.
Hannah’s products are now being supplied to The Weyhill Farmshop, Oaktrack Smallholding in Charlton Down and Too Fast Too Filling café.
For a business that began with very little financial backing and a determination to give baking a go, seeing Soulcozy products being stocked by other local businesses represents an important achievement.
“It’s been really exciting watching Soulcozy develop from individual customer orders into supplying other local businesses too,” Hannah said.
The next ambition is to establish further partnerships with independent cafés, farm shops, delis and other businesses that value locally produced food.
However, Hannah is determined that growth will not come at the expense of the personal approach that inspired her to launch the bakery in the first place.
“I’d like to grow it sustainably while keeping that homemade, community feel that was there from the beginning.
“My biggest ambition is simply to keep building something I’m proud of, grow my customer base, work with more local businesses and hopefully become a familiar little bakery name across the local area.”
How to order from Soulcozy Kitchen
Customers wanting to try Hannah’s homemade sourdough, garlic dough balls, focaccia or sweet treats can order directly through Soulcozy Kitchen’s social media pages.
Hannah regularly shares her latest menus, available products and upcoming bakes on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Local collection and delivery are available, with celebration orders and bespoke requests also considered where possible.
For those who prefer to discover local produce while shopping, Soulcozy Kitchen products can also be found through its growing network of local wholesale partners.
From an idea in an Over Wallop kitchen to a five-star rated business supplying customers and other independent businesses, Hannah’s story highlights the determination and hard work that can go into building a small local enterprise.
And with ambitions to expand further across the Andover area, Soulcozy Kitchen is hoping to bring its homemade bread and treats to even more people in the months and years ahead.