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An East Lothian couple have launched their own bakery business after an ‘inspirational’ honeymoon in America.
Maisie and Sam Walker Chapman set off on their dream holiday after getting married in summer, with no idea that they’d return ready for a whole new venture. While in New York City, they ‘fell in love’ with the famous NYC style cookies and decided to bring a taste back home.
Maisie, 30, told us that they’ve hoped to work for themselves for some time and even considered dog walking or grooming, but ultimately settled on baking. Only months on from their honeymoon they’re bringing Maisie’s Bakes to markets across the Lothians with dreams of opening their own cafe one day.
Maisie and Sam, who live in Musselburgh, have both kept their day jobs for now – and while they admit that balancing it all hasn’t been easy, they ‘love a challenge’.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Maisie said: “Maisie’s Bakes was inspired by our honeymoon to Hawaii and New York City in May 2025. While in NYC, we fell in love with the famous New York-style cookies — thick, gooey, and full of flavour — and decided to bring a little taste of that home to Edinburgh with our own creative twist.
Maisie has always had a love for baking, with fond memories in the kitchen with her granny. During the pandemic, she got back into it and began experimenting for friends and family.
She added: “Our love for baking actually began during lockdown, when we spent countless hours experimenting in the kitchen and perfecting our brownie recipe. Everything we make is baked fresh in small batches using quality ingredients. Our goal is simple — to share the joy of NYC-style cookies and gooey brownies with our local community here in Edinburgh.”
After their wedding, the couple were ready to throw themselves into a new project. Maisie added: “Sam and I have always dreamed of working for ourselves and running our own business.
“We tossed around a few ideas over the years — from dog walking to dog grooming — but in the end, baking was the path we decided to take! What started as a hobby has now grown into a fully registered business with East Lothian Council, and we’re proud to be serving our cookies and brownies at local markets every week.
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“We realised how much people loved what we were baking and decided it was time to make it official. It’s been amazing to see how much support we’ve had from our community — and we can’t wait to see where Maisie’s Bakes goes next!”
Maisie, who has a full time job with NHS Lothian, says that she and Sam have always been early risers – but now they’re heading into the kitchen instead of the gym in the wee hours.
She added: “Balancing a full-time NHS job and running our baking business definitely isn’t easy, but we love a challenge! Sam and I have always been early risers (originally for the gym), but now some of those mornings are dedicated to baking before work.
“Fridays are our busiest — we’re up at 5am baking fresh brownies for the weekend markets. We’ve got a good system in place now that helps us stay organised and keep things running smoothly.
“I’ve even trained Sam in brownie and cookie making, which makes everything so much easier — we really do make a good team – in and out of the kitchen! It can be hectic, but seeing people enjoy what we make makes every early morning worth it.”
While it’s been a busy time since their wedding, Maisie and Sam have managed to ‘celebrate the little moments’ as they enjoy married life with their busy schedule, and four-year-old pup Mollie.
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Maisie added: “We had the most amazing honeymoon and an unforgettable summer this year. It’s been busy, but we always make time to enjoy married life and celebrate the little moments together.”
Looking ahead to the future, Maisie and Sam are hoping they can one day open their own cafe. They’re planning to attend some bigger markets soon, and even expanding into parties and weddings.
Maisie added: “To start with, it might be a cosy takeaway spot selling all our favourite bakes and hot drinks, and eventually we’d love to grow into a bigger space — ideally somewhere in the beautiful area of Portobello.
“We plan to keep attending our weekly markets and hope to join some of the larger ones soon, including Grassmarket and Stockbridge Market. Another goal for 2026 is to expand into offering our bakes for parties, weddings, and special occasions — something we’re really excited to focus on as we grow!
“Ultimately, we just want to keep sharing our love for baking with as many people as possible and build something our community can be proud of.”
You can find out more about Maisie’s Bakes, and see what they’re up to, here.
