Home-baked Goodness by Rayya’s RN Bakes

by Iyath Adam

For our interview article this time, we have a chat with Rayya Naseem, owner and baker of Villimale’-based home business, RN Bakes.

Read on to find out more about how she got into baking and her experience of balancing a full-time job with a part-time home food business. 

Lonumedhu: Tell us about how you got into baking.

Rayya: Baking was something that I always wanted to do, even as a little girl. But it didn’t come naturally to me. The first brownies I made were burnt and as hard as rock, haha.

Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, I had a lot of free time on my hands. So, I started watching a lot of baking videos and experimenting with different things. My first food testers were my family and with their feedback, I was able to get better at it, try new things and perfect my own recipes. That’s how I started my baking journey.

Lonumedhu: How did RN Bakes start?

Rayya: I first started making brownies and cookies and putting them in shops in Villimale’. That was in July 2020, just when the lockdown had slowly started to lift. Around the same time, I created the RN Bakes page and we started taking online orders.

Lonumedhu: What’s it like balancing a full-time job with a part-time food business?

Rayya: I think the most challenging part about it is managing my time to do both things.

I take pre-orders at least one day in advance, which gives me enough time to manage and deliver orders after work. I don’t usually have up-for-grab items, but if I have some more time or if I’m able to make a bit more products, I put it up for instant purchase on the page. Even so, a lot of customers ask for same day orders, but I’m not always able to take them due to time constraints.

And baking is also not the only thing that I do; managing the social media page, talking to customers, taking orders, and buying the ingredients are all part of running the business which also takes up a lot of time. It’s not easy, but I do it because I love it.

Lonumedhu: How do you maintain the quality and consistency of your products?

Rayya: I think using the same ingredients is important for maintaining the quality and taste of products. But it’s not really easy to do that here.

When I first started, some of the ingredients I was using became unavailable, or the prices went up quite a lot in a short period of time. So, I had to switch up some of the ingredients and experiment a bit to find what worked for me. Once I find ingredients that work for me, I try to stick to the same ones as much as possible.

I also don’t buy ingredients in bulk because I take limited orders per day. That helps me to manage my stock and make sure that I’m using fresh ingredients.

Lonumedhu: What has been your proudest moment with RN Bakes so far?

Rayya: I don’t think there’s one specific thing. But I think the fact that it’s still here and that I’ve been able to keep it running consistently for the past six years – while managing my career and other things that have popped up over the years – is something that I’m really proud of 

The support from returning customers has also meant a lot to me. A while ago, I had to put RN Bakes on pause for a few weeks due to some personal circumstances. So, getting orders from the same customers even after that break was really nice. It also motivates me to keep going.

Lonumedhu: What do you like making the most from your menu?

Rayya: My brownies. They were one of my first products, and I really enjoy the process of baking them.

Lonumedhu: What’s your advice to aspiring home bakers who want to start their own businesses?

Rayya: Start with what you already have. It doesn’t always have to be perfect. Focus on a few things that you already know and work to make it more consistent.

And be open to feedback. Don’t take it personally but as something that will help you learn and improve on your journey.

Lonumedhu: What are your future plans for RN Bakes?

Rayya: I think that I’d like to introduce more items in the future. Tiramisu is something that has been on my mind a lot lately, but we’ll see!

Mostly, for now, I want to continue what I’m doing and experiment with more products. I want to grow RN Bakes slowly, at a pace where I can manage it while still enjoying what I’m doing.

Lonumedhu: Thank you so much for your time, Rayya. We wish you all the best!