Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Tohal.
Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Over 1 year ago my little family (my son 2yr old, my now fiancé, our dog and myself) told my family that we would move in with my grandma so that she doesn’t have to go to a nursing home, and I would take care of her (I have a background working in memory care/assisted living facilities). LeSueur is my home town, so I know the area very well. I started going to the LeSueur farmers market last year. I got some dehydrated sourdough starter and started learning how to make sourdough bread. I’ve always had a passion for baking since I was a kid. I would love baking with my mom. My grandma loved to bake as well. She has a bunch of old cookbooks and recipes, and thats why i named my business Grandma’s Secret Recipes. I’m a stay at home mom and caregiver to my grandma. I wanted to make some extra money and had been wanting to start a Cottage Foods business for awhile. I finally took a leap of faith and decided to just go for it. I wanted to have a little farmstand/bread shed to sell my cottage food products from. My fiancé did the landscaping and bought me a little bread shed and set everything up for me. I now sell my baked goods from my bread shed and I also take pre-orders as well. It’s going very well, and my community seems to like my bread shed and my products.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some struggles that I’ve gone through would be having the money to start a business. Starting a business can be quite costly. Thanks to my amazing fiancé he gave me the money and opportunity to be able to start my business and he has trusted me and supported me through all of it. Another struggle would be juggling being a mom/caregiver/housekeeper/business owner. I have a very busy life, but I wouldn’t change a single thing. Another challenge is perfecting Recipes, especially making sourdough, it can be tricky.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a Cottage Foods Producer, I make and sell cottage food products direct to consumer. I mostly sell baked goods (sourdough bread, cookies, muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, bagels, dessert bars, granola, etc.) I’m known for my delicious baked goods, and my cute little bread shed. What sets me apart from other Cottage Foods Producers mainly is my bread shed, the landscaping and our beautiful yard. Also, my sourdough cinnamon rolls are my best seller. I’m always changing it up and making different things. I’m most proud of using my grandma’s Recipes to make and sell to others to enjoy! I use some of my recipes and my grandmother’s recipes. I take pre-orders for multiple things such as sourdough bread, sourdough cinnamon rolls, cookies, bagels, focaccia, etc. I make a variety of baking goods and products for my bread shed to sell. My Bread Shed hours are currently Friday-Sunday 8am-8pm (these hours will change during different seasons).
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matter most to me is my family, taking care of my grandma in her own home so she can live the rest of her life in the comfort of her own home. Staying home with my son so that I can be there for him whenever he needs me and he doesn’t have to go to daycare. Making delicious baked goods for my community to enjoy. Getting to see the smiles of people’s faces when they visit my bread shed is so heart warming. I strive to use the most natural and organic ingredients in my recipes, people seem to appreciate that. It matters to me to use the best ingredients that I have access to.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/198BeEFHvi/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hannahtohal?_t=ZP-8xyLTMYqRPa&_r=1
