Benji’s Buns, a bakery specialising in vegan cinnamon buns has opened its first retail shop at Oak Road in Ealing Broadway, just a few minutes walk from Ealing Broadway station.
The brainchild of 21-year-old local Ealing resident and alumni of St Benedicts school, Ben Michael, Benji’s Buns has moved from being a pure online and pop up event bakery to having its own vegan retail shop selling his cinnamon buns as well as other products including vegan milkshakes.
Having experienced digestive health problems during the first lockdown in 2020 which left Ben hospitalised and losing weight, Ben looked to baking to help him rebuild his health and overcome his fear of food.
According to Ben, the jump from online and events to running his own shop came due to growing demand for his sweet treats.
“We found we were selling out all the time and people were going nuts for our buns,” Ben told EALING.NEWS. “So we basically thought, right, let’s turn this into a proper business. We are the first in the UK of our kind, there’s not a single business in the UK that’s dedicated to vegan cinnamon buns. We specialise in this and we do several flavours.”
Ben added: “We want to be in effect the Krispy Kreme of cinnamon buns and the way to do that is to now go into opening a physical store. We’re doing really well. We’re really excited. And we’ve got ambitions to open more stores next year.”
Being based in Ealing is important to Ben who before St Benedicts, went to Corner House Day Nursery, also in Ealing. “It’s my hometown, born and bred in Ealing. This community has given so much to me. I want to give back to the community. I want to bring something new to the area.”
By having the shop, Ben is also creating local opportunities for local people. “When it was the pop up, it was just me. With the shop we are employing a few people part-time and everyone’s local and as we grow, I hope to increase that.”
So how does it feel to be a part of helping the local economy and local people? “It’s really rewarding,” Ben says. “It feels really, really good to give back to the community as well. And it’s nice when people live in the area, they know people. And I think it’s nice because everyone builds a connection and a relationship with their clients as well.”
So what does Ben love about living and working in Ealing? “It’s so green and the parks. I go to the parks every day.”
Benji’s Buns is open seven days a week at Ealing Broadway, Unit 2, 11 Oak Rd, London W5 3SS.
Opening times: 10am – 6pm on Monday, 8am – 6pm Tuesday – Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sundays
