I left my job as a teacher to bake cakes and open a coffee shop in Broomhill, where I grew up.  

Lindsay Nairn, 40, has adored baking since she was ten years old, when her mum and late grandmother taught her how to make homemade scones and jam made with fresh raspberries picked from the garden. Over the years, Lindsay’s friends and family would come to her for celebration cakes, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she turned her hobby into a career, leaving her job as an English teacher to start her own custom cake business from her kitchen table.

The business, originally named Cake at Number 8 but now called The Cake Mixer, has become popular since it began thanks to Lindsay’s ability to create bespoke designs, from quirky Gruffalo-themed bakes to show-stopping wedding cakes adorned with flowers and pearls.   

The mum of four is expanding her business with the opening of her very first bricks-and-mortar shop on Crow Road, just a few streets from where it all began at her grandparents’ old house. Customers will be able to order custom cakes from The Cake Mixer and buy Lindsay’s ready-to-go bakes - including her Biscoff rocky road and empire biscuits - alongside artisan coffee from independent Glasgow speciality coffee roasters Tin Donkey. 

“It’s a dream come true to finally have my own dedicated space for the business,” says Lindsay, who now stays in Jordanhill. “I’m delighted to be joining other amazing Broomhill businesses such as Petals, Spirito, She Bloomin’ Gathered and The Piper. There’s a real buzz and sense of community in the area and it’s so exciting to be part of that.”

Lindsay is passionate about using high-quality ingredients from local producers. Customers will also be able to buy goods from a carefully curated selection of Scottish businesses, with a product range that includes Juno jam, Bare Bones chocolate, and fresh bread from Blackhill Bakery (available Fridays and Saturdays until sell-out).

The baker commissioned local creatives to work on the interior design and branding of the shop, such as artists Flore de Hoog and Agata Pietrusz, signwriter James Graham and designer Scott Cowan.

The Cake Mixer, located at 307 Crow Road opens officially today, Thursday 7th December.

The shop will open every Thursday to Sunday (9am-4pm Thursday and Friday; 10am-3pm Saturday; 10am-sellout Sunday).

Website: thecakemixer.com