Ben Fogle: Make a New Life in the Country S02E03 - Bakery

Ben Fogle spends a year following young couple Laura and Aran as they mortgage their futures and sink every penny they have into starting up their own bakery in the heart of the beautiful Peak District. But with a commercial bakery and shop on the high street to fit out, limited funds and no experience, they're risking it all to start up their new life and make a living from their dream. For 10 years, Aran and Laura rented a small flat in Dalston, East London. But despite Laura's well-paid career managing social housing projects and Aran's IT income, they couldn't get a foot on the housing ladder. So they upped sticks and moved their lives to the beautiful town of Buxton in the Peak District, and decided to start their own business and put everything they have into pursuing their dream of running their own bakery together — despite never having worked together before, run a business or had jobs in food. After they have been testing the water by baking bread out of a small garage, and trying out recipes for cakes, pastries and savoury pies in the kitchen at home, Ben meets the couple as they're about to take a great leap into the dark and rent a commercial premises on the high street, which they plan to convert to have a shop at the front and professional baking equipment at the back. It's a huge decision, as they have to sign a seven-year lease, committing to pay £45,000 whether the business works or not. It's not their only huge financial outlay. They have to completely kit out the new bakery from scratch with machinery and shop fittings. It's an expensive business and, despite spending all their savings, they have to buy secondhand equipment. How will the couple cope with rising costs, sleepless nights, their first ever renovation and the pressure of running their own business? Will their bakery be a success, or at least make enough money for them to live off? And how will the couple cope with working together for the first time and under such pressure? And when Ben returns a year after meeting them, will he find a successful business and the couple enjoying being their own boss and living and working together? And will they be living their new dream life in the country?