Great House Farm Stores
A story of creativity and connection, from the hills of South Wales.
Nestled in the quiet countryside near Topsham in Devon, Elodie Buckley has turned a school project into a thriving artisan bakery and at just 20 years old is already 4 years into running her business, crafting delicious award-winning cookies.
Believe it or not, Willow & Finch actually began as a school project! I’d had epilepsy from a young age, and school was always a struggle.
Inspired by my late grandma, who loved to bake, and with a desire to learn some real skills for the workplace, I decided to do something a bit different. An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in sixth form led me to start my own business—which became the Willow & Finch we see today!
We’re a proper family team of hard workers! I run Willow & Finch with help from my old school friend—we do all the baking between us, and there’s never a dull moment in the kitchen.
My dad and mum look after most of the admin side of things, and my younger sister, who has a real flair for photography, helps capture the magic behind the scenes.
It’s a team effort through and through, and I feel so lucky to have them all around me.
I’m lucky to work very near home, in an annexe we’ve transformed into a commercial micro bakery. Even though we’re not far from the M5, we’re surrounded by fields and countryside, which brings such a sense of calm.
Lunchtime is our chance to switch off and recharge. We often head out into nature—sometimes for a walk by the estuary at Topsham, or a quick picnic in the woods nearby. Bakery life is full-on: we’re on our feet all day, it’s hot, and it’s physical work—so carving out that moment of peace in the middle of it all really matters.
My late grandma was the inspiration behind Willow & Finch. She absolutely loved to bake and always had frozen cookie dough ready in the freezer—just in case someone popped round who needed spoiling! While the recipe has evolved over time, she’s still the reason I do what I do.
We’re passionate about using quality, local ingredients—most of what we use is grown here in the UK, including our local free-range eggs, and we never use palm oil in any of our products.
I think our customers love not just the taste, but the care and thought that goes into every bake.
Our best seller is our White Chocolate & Raspberry Cookie – they are made with Belgian white chocolate chunks and a filling of raspberry jam made by our local friends at Waterhouse Fayre – the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
Our customers absolutely love our limited edition cookies. Each season we bring out limited edition flavours, which are only available for 3 months.
Our Autumn cookies are Chai Latte and Toffee Apple – a real taste of the season. Pop them in a basket with a flask of tea and set off into the countryside for a forage. Or, invite friends round for some bonfire night fun, with hot cocoa and warm cookies!
One of the real highs for us was winning multiple Taste of the West awards earlier this year.
It felt like such a huge moment of validation—proof that all our hard work was paying off. We’ve always believed in our products (of course we have!), but hearing that from someone else, especially from such a respected organisation, was really special. It gave us a proper boost and reminded us why we do what we do.
Our two biggest priorities are quality and sustainability. Everything we make is freshly baked to order, using high-quality, carefully sourced ingredients. We believe that when you start with those values, a great product naturally follows.
It’s also really important to us that we never use palm oil, especially since so many baked goods do.
I was only 16 when I started Willow & Finch—almost four years ago now—and what a whirlwind it’s been! Being so hands-on in the bakery, baking every day, it’s hard to step back and see the bigger picture. But we’re growing, which is really exciting.
I absolutely love developing new cookie flavours – there’s really no limit, and over the years we’ve learnt what works. The cookies are getting better and better!
It would be great to see some retail products hitting the shelves too – we get asked for those a lot.
I absolutely loved reading your story Elodie of such determination and creativity at a very young age, the way your family and friends are all mucking in with you makes the journey feel all the more special.
What a beautiful way to carry your Grandmother’s recipes forward too. I’m so excited to see what flavours you create next. – Lyndsey
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