Behind the bakes

Hi! I’m Tia-may, 21, born and raised in Bristol. I’ve always loved spending time in the kitchen experimenting with recipes, but when I went vegan in 2018, I quickly realised there weren’t many sweet vegan treats available in shops. That inspired me to start baking my own at home, everything from lemon drizzle cake to key lime pie.

Even though I've always enjoyed baking, my interest in developed even more during school, where food preparation and nutrition quickly became my favourite subject. For my final coursework, I created dishes that showcased what I’d learned, including a vegan chickpea curry, vegan cinnamon rolls, and vegan meringues. It was the first time I realised how much I loved developing recipes and turning simple ingredients into something special.

Fast forward to lockdown, and I found myself baking even more. My family were the first taste testers, and after a few rounds of “Tia, you have to sell these,” and “Tia, you need to open up your own bakery,” I started thinking about turning my hobby into a business. It didn’t hurt that I’ve always been fascinated by business, having studied it at school and college, so the idea of creating my own brand had been floating around in the back of my mind for a while.

Recently, I decided to take the leap. I left my first proper job as a digital marketing account manager and am now pouring my energy into May Crumb Co. Now, I get to combine everything I love: baking, creativity, and helping people celebrate life in a way that’s friendly to animals, the planet, and everyone’s taste buds.