The Howling Wolf: how a market stall became Whitehaven's favourite spot for cinnamon buns The Howling Wolf, the café under the Beacon that brought a bakery back to Whitehaven
Marra Mode is how we'd tell you this in the Co-op. Switch it off for the straight version.
Ben and Carmina went from a market stall in 2022 to the Howling Wolf under the Beacon in 2023, and their cinnamon buns have folk queuing. Winter's a worry with costs going up, so they'd love your custom.
This one's for anybody in Whitehaven who likes a brew and a bake, and anyone wanting to keep our independents going through the winter.
The Howling Wolf is the café under the Beacon Museum down on Whitehaven's harbourside. In his Open for Business column in the Whitehaven News, Gerard Richardson MBE, a local businessman and Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria, has told the story of the couple who run it, Ben and Carmina.
It all started in 2022, when they signed up for the TEG Markets and sold their bakes to a town that hadn't had a proper bakery for decades. In 2023 they took the plunge, left the market stalls behind and opened the Howling Wolf.
Ben's the baker. He's often up at 3 or 4 in the morning filling the shelves, and he did 10 years as a chef before that, mostly Romanian, Italian and British food, picking up baking as he went. His cinnamon buns are his big thing now, and they've got a bit of a name round town. Carmina bakes as well, but she's the creative one and the face of the place, always trying new things and dreaming up ideas like themed nights and book clubs.
The column doesn't hide that it's a quiet spot under the Beacon without much passing trade, or that Carmina's worried about costs going up and margins getting squeezed, like plenty of small businesses. Gerard Richardson wrote: "We finally have an independent baker so let's do our utmost to keep them happy, especially during the leaner winter months."
What you can do: if you're out for a walk round the harbour or calling in at the Beacon, pop into the Howling Wolf for a coffee, or take a bun home for later.
Ben and Carmina started selling bakes at the TEG Markets in 2022 and opened the Howling Wolf café under the Beacon in 2023; its cinnamon buns are now a local favourite, but rising costs make winter a worry.
This is for anyone in Whitehaven who likes a coffee and a bake, and for people who want to back independent businesses through the winter.
The Howling Wolf is the café beneath the Beacon Museum on Whitehaven's harbourside. In his Open for Business column in the Whitehaven News, Gerard Richardson MBE, a local business owner and Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria, tells the story of the couple behind it, Ben and Carmina.
Their Whitehaven story began in 2022, when they signed up for the TEG Markets and started selling their bakes to a town that had been without a proper bakery for decades. In 2023 they moved from market stalls into a shop of their own and opened the Howling Wolf.
Ben is the baker. He often starts at 3 or 4 in the morning to fill the shelves, and spent 10 years as a chef, specialising in Romanian, Italian and British cooking and learning to bake along the way. His cinnamon buns have become his signature bake and something of a local legend. Carmina, who also bakes, is the creative side and the public face of the café. She tests new products and comes up with ideas such as themed evenings and book clubs.
The column is honest that the spot under the Beacon has little passing trade, and that Carmina is anxious about the rising costs and squeezed margins facing small businesses everywhere. Gerard Richardson wrote: "We finally have an independent baker so let's do our utmost to keep them happy, especially during the leaner winter months."
What you can do: if you are walking by the harbour or visiting the Beacon, call in at the Howling Wolf for a coffee, or take a bun home.