New name and racks full of freshly baked goods at Tommy’s Bakery in Ramsgate

Freshly baked sausage rolls, burger puffs plus cakes, rolls and more are filling the racks at the newly branded Tommy’s in Ramsgate’s Belmont Road.

Tommy Roost-Baker has taken the helm of the family business, formerly part of Roostys which is run by parents Hanna and Andy Roost from their second venue at the Nelson College campus.

The 29-year-old has been involved with the business since it took on the former Buttercups shop in 2019 from previous owners Steve and Carol Fennell.

Tommy, who trained at Thanet College before working at businesses including Crusties before going from kitchen porter to chef at Age and Son, has roots with the bakery with nan Rose having worked there for some 26 years with Steve and Carol.

Now, the dad-of-one, who had been working at the campus site and baking provisions for the Roosty mobile service, will devote attention to the shop – which has been a bakery since 1938- full time.

He said: “They (Hanna and Andy) want to concentrate on the vans and the function room and we thought the shop would be best for me. I like to push things and be hands on.

“I do all the baking, sausage rolls, cakes, scotch eggs, from scratch. At the moment I’m using the money that comes in to buy more stock so there will be more and more things – cheese straws, cheese and bacon puffs, burger puffs, cakes and scotch eggs with lots of different flavours.”

Tommy has staff members Donna and Steph helping on the counter and says one day he hopes to pass the reins to his 18-month-old son Lucas.

Tommy said: “This will be his when he is old enough. He already loves my sausage rolls!”

Tommy gets to work at 4am and says although the bakery doesn’t open until 7am he is happy to serve anyone before then if they knock on the door. He has also extended the hours from the previous 2pm closing to 4pm.

He said: “We are starting to smash it out and fill the racks. There will be more bread, more fillings – like beef joint sliced and probably turkey – and more cakes.”

Tommy says it is not just the baking part of the job he loves. He said: ”I like the feedback and I like the conversation, talking to people and hearing their stories.

“One girl came in and asked for just one Nutella twist so I popped an extra one in the bag because it is about being part of the community too.”

Find Tommy’s Bakery on facebook by clicking here