KELLEY HUGHES is at work in her cramped kitchen at Wildflours Bakery on Cumberland Street. Hughes has just received permission from Brunswick officials to expand her business, freeing up kitchen space and adding a retail space in front. Through time, Hughes said she’s never had to solicit business. She said that one of her more than 20 accounts came from an email she put out to someone — the rest reached out to Hughes.

From the smell of burning rubble to the smell of sweet success, Wildflours is back and growing its gluten free business.

When a fire broke out in the historic building at the corner of Maine and Mason streets five years ago, it took with it Kelley Hughes’ three years of hard work developing her bakery.

With nowhere to go, Hughes and other business owners at what used to be 45 Maine St. were given a free place to set up shop at Hughes’ father-in-law’s office building at 54 Cumberland St. George Cabot opened his doors until they could get back on their feet.

“It was way harder than I thought it was going to be,” Hughes said.

Hughes said she hit the ground running immediately following the fire to find a new space to rent, only to come to the realization that her still small business was not going to be able to afford rents anywhere else on Maine Street.

Hughes remained at the Cumberland Street location, but with a growing business and limited room to grow, she knew she had to expand — but not without permission since she was in a residential zone.

On May 10, the planning board issued a permit for Hughes to expand her operation, which currently consists of a kitchen with all the twists and turns of its original design as an office space.

Hughes plans on opening up the kitchen area and extending the ceilings by removing the drop-ceiling tiles that are now in place, taking advantage of the building’s post and beam design.

Finally, Hughes plans on putting in a new entrance facing Cumberland Street and opening a retail space in the front of the building.

“We’ll have a small retail bakery in the front and then expand our production space which you can tell, looks in dire need — we’re busting at the seams,” Hughes said.

It’ll also provide more elbow room in the kitchen. Although Hughes puts in a lot of time at the bakery herself, she also has a couple other bakers working with her.

For the last five years, Hughes has been working at farmers markets and servicing about 20 wholesale clients from Portland to Belfast. Locally, Hughes has accounts at New Beet Market, Little Dog, Morning

Glory and Mister Bagel.

Hughes said through the whole process the town has been great to her. Morning Glory was one of the first people to contact her following the fire, requesting some wholesale business at a time when Hughes said she only had a few accounts.

“Susan (Tarpinian) over there has been fantastic. She sat me down and said, ‘this is what it could look like and this is what we’d like to buy from you,’ “ Hughes said.

Through time, Hughes said she’s never had to solicit business. She said that one of her more than 20 accounts came from an email she put out to someone — the rest reached out to Hughes.

Area businesses weren’t the only ones pulling for Hughes’ success, as the local town government was a great help as well.

“They clearly wanted me to succeed and the planning board was fantastic,” Hughes said.

Her local town councilor and now neighbor Kathy Wilson was also a great help for Hughes, speaking out in favor of her business at the planning board meeting.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com