Milk It Bakehouse

Mel - Founder of Milk It Bakehouse

How did the idea for Milk it first come to you?

At the time, I was working as a birth and postpartum doula and teaching pregnancy and mum-and-baby yoga, while doing my certification in nutrition consulting for pregnancy and postpartum. I was supporting new mums through those early, blurry weeks — and I kept noticing how many people wanted to help, but weren’t quite sure how.

I had my babies young, at 27 and 30, so I was one of the first in my circle to go through it. Being Canadian and living down in Cornwall, most of my friends were scattered around the world, and when they started having babies, I found myself in the same position: wanting to support them from afar but not knowing what would actually be helpful.

One day, a woman from Portugal found my number through my doula work and called me to see if I could support her friend in England who’d just had a baby and was struggling. She wanted to book me for postpartum hours — and at the end of the call, she said, “Would you bring lactation cookies too?” It really stuck with me.

It kept coming up — this idea that what new mothers really need is helpful help: something tangible, nourishing, and thoughtful. I started baking lactation cookies for my doula clients. They weren’t perfect at first, but I kept tweaking until they became these big, soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies that people genuinely loved.

That’s when it clicked. So much of postpartum care revolves around the baby, when really, the best thing we can do for a baby is care for the mother. Milk it grew out of that — a way to make mums feel seen, supported, and celebrated again.

What gap or need did you see in the market that you wanted to fill?

For me, Milk it isn’t just a product — it’s an attitude towards postpartum.

We celebrate pregnancy with baby showers and bump photos, but once the baby arrives, the focus shifts almost entirely away from the mother. I wanted to create something that shifted that narrative, a gift that says this is for you.

There are plenty of “healthy” snacks out there, but very few that feel comforting, beautiful, and indulgent — the kind of thing you’d actually want to eat at 3am while feeding. I wanted Milk it to bridge that gap: something that’s both functional and emotionally nourishing.

How did you move from idea to action — what were your very first steps?

I was already making the cookies for my doula clients, so I started bringing them to my mum-and-baby yoga classes too — a built-in testing ground. It helped me stay accountable: each week I’d try a tweak, a new flavour, or a different bake time. I also brought them to my Birth Ready workshops for pregnant parents, just without the fenugreek and brewer’s yeast.

It was never this big separate project — it was integrated into my work. I used that time to perfect everything from the shape and size of the cookie to how long they needed to bake. British people are too polite to tell you if something’s off, but my family had no such issue, so I got good feedback from them.

Once I had a cookie I was genuinely proud of, I started thinking about how it should look and feel as a brand. I knew I didn’t want it to arrive in a plain cardboard box — I wanted it to feel like a premium, thoughtful gift. I worked with my friend Ciara, a designer I used to work with at one of my tech company jobs, and she helped create the branding and packaging, and I told myself I wouldn’t launch until it all felt right.

I built the website myself and learned Shopify along the way. I’ve worked in social media marketing for about a decade, but this was my first time doing it for a physical product. I was pulling late nights to get everything ready before going home to Canada for August, and when the packaging was delayed, it turned out to be a blessing — it gave me time to refine everything and build excitement ahead of launch.

I also knew from the start that influencer marketing would be huge. As mums, we trust other mums — people who are in the thick of it with us. That word-of-mouth connection felt like the right way to grow.

What has been your proudest moment so far since launching?

Selling out my first week was surreal. I launched on a Monday — the same day I was baking and shipping all the influencer boxes. It was my first proper test run of the system I’d built, and I had the Shopify notifications turned up loud. Every time one pinged, my husband (working from home in the other room) and I would cheer.

By the end of the day, I was completely fried, but I just remember thinking, okay, this might actually work. A lot of those early sales were friends and supporters, but it was still the first moment that made it all feel real.

How do you handle marketing — do you manage yourself or have a team of collaborators?

It’s just me. I’ve worked in social media and marketing for about ten years, so I love that part, but it’s definitely a juggling act.

I stay organised using a clean Notion system — it’s where every idea goes, so when I’m not feeling creative, I’ve got something to draw from. I also did a brand photoshoot early on, which gave me a great bank of images to work with. When the packaging finally arrived (a week before launch), my husband and I cobbled together our own product photography. One day I’ll do a proper shoot, but it’s served me well so far.

All of the creatives I’ve worked with so far have been women — from design to photography — which feels really special and aligned with what Milk it stands for.

I try to film as much b roll as I can for social— baking, boxing, handwriting notes, all of it. Some days I remember, some days I don’t, but I think people connect with the honesty more than anything. It’s not polished or influencer-perfect, and that’s okay. Milk it is built on realness, not gloss.

So far it’s been just organic marketing, no paid influencers, no social ads, and I hope to keep it that way for a bit at least. The thought of paying Meta my hard earned small business £ just pains me. 

Where do you see Milk it in the next one to three years?

Practically, I’d love to move into a proper commercial kitchen and stop inconveniencing my family quite so much. That would mean being able to scale production, invest in a bigger mixer and oven, and still keep the handmade, small-batch feel.

I’d also love to employ other mums — in flexible, family-friendly ways that fit around school runs and nap times. The idea of creating work that supports mothers in more ways than one feels like such a natural evolution.

Longer term, I’d love to see Milk it stocked in beautiful independent shops, curated gift boxes, and maybe through subscriptions for new mums and gift-givers. I don’t ever see it as a grocery-store product — it’s a specialty brand, and I always want it to feel that way.

Honestly, I’m not chasing any huge goals, I just want to build a beautiful, sustainable life for my family while providing genuine care and nourishment for new mums. I want to be present with my kids, not have work anxiety hanging over me, and contribute something meaningful to the world. If Milk it helps make postpartum feel more seen and celebrated, that’s the real goal.

Have your children influenced the way you approach your business?

Completely. They’re the reason I started and the reason I pace myself now. Having kids changes how you see time — you realise how precious your energy is, so you get clearer about what’s worth it.

They’ve also become part of the process. They help assemble cookie boxes (10p per box, solid motivation), and they see me doing something I love. I hope it shows them that you can build something meaningful without having to fit anyone else’s version of success.

Do you have any daily routines or hacks that help you stay organised and sane?

I plan everything around bake days. Mondays are dough, Tuesdays are bake and ship, Wednesdays - Sunday are admin, marketing, outreach etc etc etc. One day I hope that says Wednesday - Thursday are admin, marketing etc, but it’s early days and it’s just me grafting on this. 

I rely on lists, and swear by the tool Sunsama which is a productivity tool where you can time block and it pulls in all your calendar bits, to dos, and allows you to put a timeline on things so you don’t over commit and double book school pick up for example. Beyond that, I’ve learned not to aim for perfect balance. Some days are just messy and I have to pull out the laptop after bath and bedtime, and that’s fine. As this is all so new, and not providing a real income for my family yet, I still work a part time role doing social media marketing. So finding time for that around this all is a juggle as well. So sanity? Not sure we’re there yet. 

How do you find ‘you time’, or has that become part of your business?

At this point, the business is my me-time in a lot of ways. It’s creative, it’s mine, and it gives me something that exists outside motherhood. But it’s a WIP for sure, and it’s always evolving (we are only on week 3 of the business, remember!). I hope I’ll get to a place soon where the business is more operationalised and I can be more hands-off for proper me-time. 

What advice would you give other mums who have a dream or business idea but feel they lack time and energy to start?

Start small, start scrappy, and don’t wait for perfect conditions — they never come. You can build something beautiful in tiny pockets of time.

You don’t need a huge audience or glossy setup; you just need a good idea and the courage to share it. People connect to honesty and heart more than perfection.

What’s next for Milk it — and for you personally?

Next up is the launch of a new flavour — Cosy — a chai-spiced cookie with white chocolate and pistachio. After that, I’m developing a non-dairy range for mums navigating CMPA or sensitivities, which I’m really excited about. I am also looking at commercial kitchens to move into (which is a scary next step, as increasing overhead is spooky for a new business!) 

Personally, I just want to keep building Milk it in a way that feels intentional and aligned with why I started. I don’t want to scale so fast that I lose the heart of it. Slow, steady, and rooted in care — that’s the plan.