🧾 From Oven to Market: A Day in the Life of a Baker

Market days look fun on Instagram, smiling faces, neat displays, and trays of baked goods ready to go. But behind every stall is a story of late nights, early mornings, and a whole lot of flour. Here’s a peek into what really goes into a market day at Chunky Delights.

🌙 The Night Before

For markets, the prep starts long before sunrise. Depending on what I’m selling, I’ll often begin on Thursday. Quiches mean lining muffin trays with dough so I can fill and bake them on Friday morning. Cheesecakes need time to set overnight, so they go into the oven Thursday too.

Friday is for baking items that need less resting, cookies, brownies, and any last-minute bakes. While one batch of cookies is cooling, I’m weighing out brownies. While quiches are in the oven, I’m packaging cheesecakes. It’s a balancing act, and somehow the timing always works out.

By Friday night, fatigue sets in. That’s when I’m adding stickers to boxes, writing pricing stands, and packing the car with tables and displays. Even when I’m tired, I know it will all be worth it when someone bites into one of my cookies the next day.

I’ve worked out my schedule so I don’t end up awake until midnight, sleep is too important when you’ve got a 14-hour day ahead. Still, there’s always that final check in the dark, double-checking everything is packed. Something always gets left behind, but I’ve learned not to panic, markets are all about quick fixes.

🌅 Arriving at the Market

Cape Town markets have their own rhythm. Some mornings are icy, others already buzzing with heat. Vendors arrive with car boots open, greeting each other as they unload. The smells mix together, coffee machines whirring, bacon rolls sizzling, fresh bread being stacked onto stalls.

Most vendors are pros; they know exactly what to bring and how to set up. Still, there’s a camaraderie as we all get ready. Someone lends you tape, another helps anchor your gazebo against the wind. And then the gates open, customers wander in, and suddenly you remember why you’re here.

That first sale of the morning is magic, a rush of validation that makes every late night and early start worth it.

🌬️ The Unexpected

Markets are never without surprises.

• The Wind: Cape Town wind is unpredictable. You can leave the Northern Suburbs in calm weather and arrive at the market to find gazebos wobbling. That’s when vendors pull together, securing each other’s displays with pegs, crates, and sheer determination.
  
• The Rain: If it’s really bad, markets are postponed. But light rain still means damp packaging, soggy shoes, and fewer customers braving the weather.
  
• Forgetting Something: I’ve left tongs at home more than once. Luckily, Ryan is always willing to dash home or buy a quick replacement. As for cash floats, the solution is usually buying something small from a neighbour to break a note, a win-win.
  

Even in the stress, there are bright moments. Customers coming back for seconds. Kids pressing their noses against the display. Regulars who know exactly which cookie they want before they even reach the table.

🧾 My Market Day Checklist

Over time, I’ve learned what’s essential and what’s “nice to have.” Here’s my go-to list:

Bakes

• Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Spiced Chocolate, Chocolate & Oats, Lemon & Poppy Seed, Rocky Road, Pumpkin & Chocolate, Orange & Dark Chocolate, Caramel Kissed Red)
• Brownies (Chocolate, (Un)Fun)
• Blondies (Gem Squash, Lemon)
• Cheesecakes (Plain, Lemon, Chocolate Coffee, Chocolate Mint)
• Quiches (Bacon & Cheese, Bacon & Mushroom, Rainbow Pepper, Mushroom, Kale & Cheese)

Packaging

• Boxes, bags, stickers, labels

Equipment

• Tables & cloths
• Gazebo & pegs
• Product displays & pricing stands

Money

• Cash float
• Yoco card machine (charged + updated)
• Power banks

Personal

• Water, lunch, sunscreen, hat/jacket
• Notebook & pen
• Wet wipes
• Spare packaging

Even with a checklist, something always slips through. But being prepared makes a huge difference.

💛 Why I Keep Showing Up

Markets are hard work. By the end of the day, I’m tired, sunburnt, and covered in crumbs. But they’re also one of the most rewarding parts of running Chunky Delights.

I love explaining my flavours to customers and seeing their faces light up with curiosity. I love when someone tries a cookie, disappears into the crowd, and comes back 10 minutes later to buy more. I love the community of vendors, friendly, supportive, always ready with advice or a roll of tape.

No two markets are ever the same. Each has its own rhythm, its own crowd, its own memories. Watching my stall transform from an empty table into a display of my hard work fills me with pride every time.

And at the end of it all, I know I’ve shared a piece of myself with people, one chunky delight at a time.