The Muswell Hill mum-of-four had just done a Cordon Bleu diploma in bread making and was turning out more than her family could eat.
So she started a breakfast box delivery service packed with bread and baked treats.
Called after her middle name – Astrid Bakery proved so popular that in 2023 she opened a small batch bakery with a tiny hatch in Alexandra Park Road.
And in recent weeks the business that has grown from a lone founder to a 21-strong staff baking seven days a week has expanded to a second site.
“The business started from my home, I was baking all the time and no-one in my family could keep up with it so I thought maybe someone else would like it,” says Charlotte.
“My main intention was to get it out of my house. I wanted somewhere that was a kitchen near where I lived. I found a 400 sq ft space but we managed to fit everything in and opened a hatch serving coffee and croissants.
“We had an amazing response, it was really, really busy with queues around the block.”
When Charlotte started baking sourdough she could only make 22 loaves a day.
“The bread would go in half an hour and people said ‘we really want to try your bread but we can’t get up early enough!’
“We would sell out everything so fast I just couldn’t bake enough because we weren’t set up for mass production.”
But her confidence grew so she eyed up a former estate agents four doors up in Alexandra Park Road opposite the Maid of Muswell pub.
“We put in a huge bread oven and took on more bakers and started making focaccia, baguettes, pin loaves and seeded sourdough,” she said.
That was last year, and when her customers clamoured for somewhere to sit she converted what was a production space into Astrid Atelier – selling groceries, baked goods and running pop-up pizza nights.
It opened in January, designed in her green colour palette and features counter seating and a spot to sit down in the window.
“It’s all evolved in response to what people wanted,” says Charlotte.
“It took us a while to get the building how we wanted. It’s like a cafe but somewhere you can have a glass of wine, pick up your bread and groceries, or get something savoury for lunch.
“My executive chef Matteo comes from between Rome and Naples and has been doing pizza on Saturdays – we have plans for evening aperitivo to make a bit of a fun event but we’ve not got round to that yet.”
The business has always tested its new ventures as a pop-up, worked out how to improve it and ironed out any issues.
“We’ve just been really responsive to what the community wants and they have been amazing.
“To have people queuing for your products is an amazing position to be in – the bakery has become a lovely part of people’s lives, and our biggest challenge is how to do more.
“We are really warm and community focused – we know everyone by name and I just feel really lucky that people are trusting us.”
Charlotte changes her bakes seasonally, using English fruits like medlars, damson and quinces, and says as a former fashion journalist and stylist she’s used her creativity to make the bakeries and products look beautiful.
“I am interested in how things look. It’s been a really fun journey designing the spaces and boxes making something fun and beautiful that I care about.
“I am a busy person – I have four children – but I am constantly astonished at what I was able to achieve on my own.
“One year I did 50 breakfast boxes with seven items in each and hosted Christmas the next day!”
She believes there’s a “bakery moment happening in London and the country” and puts it down to people craving an affordable luxury.
“People are interested in supporting independent local businesses, and in a cost of living crisis when it’s expensive to go out for dinner, you can go to your local bakery, get a cup of coffee and something delicious, and have a wonderful experience.”
