![IMG_1393[1]](https://i0.wp.com/bettybbiscuits.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/IMG_13931-scaled-panorama-cad1814b6f8d5833363a885059a6f367-621ea8b16f1ba.jpg?resize=843%2C562&ssl=1 "IMG_1393[1]")
Hey there, thanks for popping in.
This is us, Beth (left) and Melinda (right), the mums behind Betty B Biscuit Boutique.
Our story starts over a decade ago when I, Beth, fell in LOVE with my now husband Joel. Little did I know that meeting that handsome lad would also mean meeting my best friend, Melinda. I mean, talk about hitting the jackpot right?!
Melinda and I have always shared a love of baking and creating which started when we were children. Growing up for us both was many family celebrations filled with delicious food and fabulous cakes, decorated with love.
We have taken great pride over the years, decorating cakes and cookies for our own families and friends. Then word seemed to get out about us, and we started getting asked by people in our community to bake cakes and decorate cookies for them too. But having young families and regular jobs meant this was just a hobby and something we did on the side for a few years.
It was the sweeping kick of 2020 that gave us the reality check and nudge in the direction we needed to take the plunge and create Betty B Biscuit Boutique.
Why were we working for places that did not either bring us joy or give us the space to use our creative talent? ‘Life is just too short, so let's just do it’, we said.
And so began the wild ride that created the Betty B Biscuit Boutique we have today.
Melinda Murray
Hi there, I'm Melinda Murray.
I was born and bred in the forestry town of Tokoroa and lived there until I was 20, moving to Hamilton where I met my late husband. Eventually our wee family moved to Cambridge in 2007.
I am a step-mum to Ashleigh and mum to Jaden and Skyela, all three of them now adults.
I have worked in many fields over the years, including telecommunications and the banking industry. It wasn't until my two children were born that I decided to change my career path completely and I went back to school to get my bachelor of teaching in early childhood education.
I am a very creative person, and have always enjoyed baking. It was in my teens that I started baking and decorating cakes for family members and later on friends, including wedding cakes. In my spare time I like to macrame and spend time with family and friends. I also love to travel, there is still so much more to explore!
Beth Boyte
Hi, I’m Beth Boyte.
I was born in Masterton in the Wairarapa, but moved north when I was young and went to school in Cambridge, Waikato where I now live with my 3 daughters, Abby, Maggie and Elsie and my hubby Joel.
I have worn many hats career wise. Working in Cafes, lifeguarding, and swim coaching as a teen. I spent a good few years working in my father's retail store before I studied commercial broadcasting and started working in Radio before starting a family.
It became pretty clear that my passion was baking so I dived in and ended up here!
At home, I have a rather rotund King Charles Cavalier called Jasper. There are also 2 cats roaming about, a grumpy old rescue cat called Possum and an overly affectionate cat my daughter adopted called Mischief.
I just love crafts, crochet, embroidery and I am a very keen cook. I have always loved being in the kitchen. My mum is an awesome cook, she was also very chill about letting us join in, which started a love of cooking and baking that is very evident today!
So who is Betty B?
Betty B Biscuit Boutique is named after our wonderful Gran, Betty, who is the inspiration behind what we do here.
Gran, as EVERYONE who meets her eventually calls her, was an amazing baker. She was brought up on a farm in Glen Massey with her two siblings. There was always plenty of creamy milk daily from the family cow, hand churned butter and an abundance of fresh eggs from the free-range hens. Betty’s mother was a renowned baker and often baked for families in the village as well during the War Years.
Betty’s cupboards were always full of homebaked goods, preserved fruit and vegetables. You would also find cupboards full of recipe books with many family recipes that had been handed down through the generations. If you flick through these recipe books now you will see the names of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even all the in-laws, written above their favourite recipes, as well as notes and changes to recipes. Any holiday we had at Gran’s you could be sure that your favourite baking would be stocked in her pantry, ready for your arrival.
Gran is the reason why Betty B Biscuit Boutique is built on classic traditional values. We only use real, quality ingredients in our cookies and we also believe in leaving as small a mark on the environment as we can and package our products in home compostable packaging.
Betty B Biscuit Boutique is all about celebrating and sharing love through baking. We want to share this with you! Celebrating you, your family, and the special people in your lives. We would love to be a part of your celebrations.
