Kenilworth Bakery 

From four donuts a day to 5000 on a Saturday morning, Jenna Sanders has transformed a small country bakery into a weekend destination for visitors from far and wide. Her recipe for success is simple: hard work, social media and great customer service.

Jenna said her vision when she bought the bakery in Kenilworth four years ago, was to create a place for families to visit on the weekend. “My family has been in the bakery business for three generations. I was looking to relocate to the Sunshine Coast, and we’d come across the 97-year-old Kenilworth Country Bakery,” Jenna said.

“I drove out to have a look and I could see right away that Kenilworth was a destination, and the bakery had so much character and even more potential. Kenilworth is a scenic 45-minute drive from anywhere on the Sunshine Coast. There are beautiful playgrounds, the Kenilworth Dairies cheese factory, amazing water-holes and hiking trails. It was a great opportunity and I knew if I could just get it out into the world people would want to come and visit.”

Utilising social media as a free marketing tool, Jenna soon realised that people loved taking and sharing photos of donuts. “Donuts are really appealing on Instagram and Facebook — they’re still only 50% of our business but they’re the only thing we use in our marketing because people love taking and sharing photos of them. When we started, we were making just a few donuts a day and it’s not actually my forte. My family are pie makers and that has been my background for the past 15 years, so we’ve had to learn how to make donuts really quickly,” Jenna said.

The road to success for the Kenilworth Country Bakery hasn’t been smooth but Jenna’s resilience and quick-thinking during the COVID is the reason why Jenna is a *Sunshine Coast Local Business Champion. “During COVID-19 we were forced to think on our feet and change our business model fast to offer home deliveries. Kenilworth is just over 50km from most places so during the lockdown, no one could drive out here. It absolutely ruined the town and ruined the bakery. We were getting 10 customers each day as opposed to 300. We delivered from Kenilworth to the south side of Brisbane. It was really tiring, and money was tight. We had to work hard to keep our staff, including two Nepalese bakers who we sponsor. It was a very big panic to keep things going and a lot of 18-hour days making orders then delivering them into the night. Surviving that, not knowing how long it was going to last, was really challenging.”

A few months later, lockdown was lifted, and the small-town bakery got flooded with day-trippers from across south-east Queensland and beyond. Jenna soon doubled her staff and leased the shop next door to keep up with the demand for her food. She borrowed a stop-go sign from the local SES and hired someone to manage the lines of people that ran from her bakery to the end of the main street in Kenilworth.

Sunshine Coast Council Economic Development Portfolio Cr Terry Landsberg said the Kenilworth Bakery was a great example of small businesses doing big things for our region:- “Council recognises how important small businesses are to our local economy which is why we developed the Local Business Champions series,” Cr Landsberg said.

Jenna shares the following key insights from her business journey: Resilience: Like most businesses, we had everything thrown at us during COVID-19. Being resilient and turning lemons into lemonade was key to our survival and success. Adaptability: Being able to think outside the box and not stick to the ‘norm’ – this is what will set your business apart from all the others.

Marketing and social media: Take time to connect with your audience authentically and post content that will engage customers. Responding to comments is also key – your customers are the bread and butter of your business and if they don’t feel like you have connected with them, you might not see them again.

*Local Business Champions: Sharing stories highlights the success and capability of the local business community. The series acknowledges local business efforts, whether it’s a change in their business models to grow current or new business; new business ideas to recover from COVID; or an inspiring story from a local business owner. Are you a Local Business Champion or do you know of someone who is? Get involved and share the stories of your Local Business Champions via social media using the hashtag #localbusinesschampions

Make it a reality with support from Sunshine Coast Council’s Community Grants Program. Major Grants are open now and close 30 August. Attend a free Grant Writing Session online or in-person to help with planning. Visit Council's website for more information.

Horizon Festival is back in 2021 and the program is out now! Get ready for 10 inspirational days and nights of music, dance, visual art, theatre, film, comedy and much more. Horizon Festival is on from 27 August to 5 September. And with 432 artists, 30 locations and 52 unique events, there’s a Horizon Festival experience for everyone. Visit horizonfestival.com.au to view the program.

Watch Council’s next Ordinary Meeting online – Thursday 22 July at 9am.

It’s winter but there’s no need to hibernate! This really is the perfect time to enjoy some weekly, ‘Healthy Sunshine Coast’ classes across our region. From Aqua to Zumba, there’s something for you. Classes cost no more than $5 and many are free. For more details and to book, visit Council’s website.

Join in Australia’s largest tree planting event on Sunday 1 August from 9am to 2pm. Bring family and friends to Doonan Creek Environmental Reserve, Verrierdale and plant a tree to help create a home for our local wildlife. To book, visit Council’s events website.

Rate notices are about to be issued and are due for payment by 20 August. If you register now through MyCouncil to receive future rate notices by email, you’ll go in the running to win up to $1000 off your next rate bill. Visit Council's website for more information.

sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Council/ Contact-Council

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