From bites to bytes
Kendra Groves, from Australia, moved to Manchester as a baker and continues to be part of the food scene here (Image: Kendra Groves/Instagram: @kendragrovess)
For baker and content creator Kendra Groves, food has always been more than sustenance – it has been a stage, a canvas, and sometimes, a lifeline.
Her journey into Manchester’s food world didn’t begin in a classroom but thousands of miles away in Australia, where she worked as one of the country’s leading cake decorators.
“It was one of the biggest gigs you could get,” she recalls. “When I moved to Manchester, I couldn’t find the same kind of role, so I started baking instead.”
Her first step into the city’s food scene was at Black Milk in the Northern Quarter, where she honed her craft as a baker. The transition wasn’t easy, but it opened doors. Within two years, she was running her own spot—Factory Bake, a small but wildly popular bakery that quickly developed a cult following. “We sold out every day, usually by midday,” she says, smiling at the memory.
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Kendra’s first step into the city’s food scene was at Black Milk in the Northern Quarter(Image: Kendra Groves/Instagram: @kendragrovess)
Every morning, Kendra and her co-founder made fresh breads, cakes, and pies because they put their all into it. The promise of straightforward, traditional baked goods drew customers into the line early. However, the bakery’s prosperity was fleeting.
Due to the building’s listed status, there were issues: “At first, we got cheap rent, which was perfect because we had no financial backing,” says Kendra. However, the landlords attempted to treble it after six months. We simply were unable to keep up.
“We had no financial backing,” says Kendra. However, the landlords attempted to treble it after six months. We simply were unable to keep up. Factory Bake’s closure was devastating.
“It was nine of the most rewarding and challenging months of my life. I gave it my all. I felt like I was losing a piece of me when it shut down.”
Following its closure in 2023, Kendra started working as a freelance recipe developer for Get Baked before focusing on her long-standing, covert hobby of publishing food-related content on Instagram.
Initially, it consisted solely of amusing postings, baking samples, and items from my kitchen. However, as I began visiting restaurants and writing about them, the reviews and videos gradually gained popularity.
Kendra says Manchester ‘has amazing patisseries'(Image: Kendra Groves/Instagram: @kendragrovess)
Kendra demands sincerity, in contrast to many influencers. “I have never received payment for writing a review,” she says. “It defeats the purpose, in my opinion. I usually pay since I want an authentic experience, but occasionally I get invited to eat for free, which is lovely.”
Her ethos has struck a chord. One of her videos for Hong Kong Café went viral, helping the restaurant attract new customers. She says: “They gave me way too much food, I had to ask them to stop feeding me! But I wanted to make the best video possible. When it blew up, it felt so good to give back.”
While big-name influencers often focus on collaborations or sponsored posts, Kendra says she tries to seek out smaller, independent businesses. “A lot of places are shutting down – it’s brutal,” she says. “If my video can help even a little, it’s worth it.”
Her freelance work now spans around seven clients, including Cardinal Rule, a soulful Texan couple running a Southern food restaurant. “They were my first clients and I adore them,” she muses. “They’re doing something so special, and I just want more people to see it.”
Social media, she argues, is essential for survival. “It’s free advertising, but not everyone knows how to use it properly. Some owners are cooking, running front-of-house, doing everything – they don’t have time to shoot and edit videos. That’s where I come in.”
Kendra Groves has gone on to become embedded in Manchester’s food scene as both a baker and content creator(Image: Kendra Groves/Instagram: @kendragrovess)
Whilst Kendra says she has grown accustomed to Manchester’s food scene and its quirks, there’s some things about back home that she often finds herself longing for.
“In Australia, bakeries are everywhere,” she explains. “Every town has them. Meat pies, Lamingtons, melting moments… It’s cultural.” Asked about a Lamington, she says: “It’s just sponge cake with cream and jam, dipped in chocolate glaze and rolled in coconut. Simple but perfect.”
She sighs when comparing this to the UK. “Manchester has amazing patisseries – Pollen, Flat Baker, all incredible – but there aren’t enough traditional bakeries left. Greggs is everywhere, and while I love a Greggs sausage roll, it’s not the same as a local shop baking fresh every morning.”
Looking ahead, she dreams of opening another bakery – but says that next time it will have to be entirely on her own terms.
“If I open another bakery, I’d want it to be playful, nostalgic,” she suggests. “With bold flavours and a bit of weirdness. Something fun. “When it happens, I’ll know what to do differently. But for now, I’m happy championing others, feeding people, and telling stories through food.”
You can follow Kendra on Instagram here.
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