12/10/2026
Four years ago, Nuno and I started a small bakery here on the island of São Miguel. And looking back, I think we’ve learned quite a lot along the way.
One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that growing a business doesn’t necessarily mean making it bigger.
We grew up rapidly in the first few years, and of course, there have been moments when we thought about expanding, producing even more, reaching more people. And sometimes it was tempting. But with time we’ve realised that this is not really what we want for Massa Mãe. Because growing sometimes also means compromising on the quality.
We like knowing our customers, working closely with our team, choosing our ingredients carefully and being involved in what we make every day.
We’ve also learned that running a business is not always as romantic as it might look from the outside. There are difficult days, mistakes, decisions that don’t work out, and moments when you question whether you’re doing things the right way. And I think that’s just part of it. We are still learning, even after four years.
Something else that has become very clear to us is how important the people around you are. Having a good team with whom you connect, people who care about what they do, suppliers who care about their ingredients as much as you do, and customers who keep coming back every week makes such a difference.
And I think I’ve also changed a little in the way I see success. Before, I probably thought that a successful business was one that kept growing constantly. Now I don’t necessarily see it that way.
For me, it’s more about being able to make something we’re proud of, without having to compromise too much on the things that were important to us from the beginning.
Four years later, we’re still a local bakery, making bread by hand, working with good ingredients and trying to do things as well as we can.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of these four years. Our team, our customers, and all the people who have supported us since the beginning. 🤍
