From teaching in South America and China to an industrial unit in Strood – Tabitha Booth's new life is worlds away from where it was a year ago.

The 33-year-old has undergone a complete career change and now runs her own sourdough bakery delivering loaves to homes across Medway.

Her working day starts at 1am preparing her specialised dough at her kitchen on Medway City Estate and by 9am she's out doing the rounds to dozens of customers in her van.

Since launching Crackle Bread Bakery in July, business has boomed and she now supplies two award-winning restaurants – The Cheese Room in Rochester and The Pumproom at the Copper Rivet distillery at Chatham Maritime.

Her entrepreneurial skills are self-evident – using the spirit manufacturer's spent grain to make a bespoke bread for its menu.

And the former business studies university student puts her qualification to use by keeping on top of the paperwork and accounts.

Tabitha has had no formal training and mastered her culinary expertise in the kitchen of the family home in Higham from a young age.

She said: "I come from a foodie family. My mum taught food technology at schools in Medway for years and my dad once worked at a biscuit factory."

But with her crack of dawn early starts, which means she's in bed by 6pm, her partner Shaun Kandathil is usually the one to rustle up supper at their home on the Esplanade, Rochester.

Making up to 70 loaves a day, she also supplied Mockbeggar farm, Cliffe Woods, No 3 Coffee Company, Shorne, and The Village Green, Higham.

She said: "I learned what I do working in kitchens in the Midlands when I was at university. I learned more that way than any book could have taught me."

Starting the venture was anything but a snap decision for Tabitha. She said: "I had been thinking about it for years before lockdown.

"During that time, it became a trend to bake your own bread. But I believe it is one to stay and is growing all the time.

"Now that people are returning to work, they don't have the time to make their own sourdough.

"The nearest alternative is supermarket bread. But this is healthier, easier to digest and more tasty."

Key to Tabitha's success so far is Petunia, the culture starter she uses for the water, salt and flour-based dough.

She added: "Refrigeration is so important and getting the right temperature for Petunia is too.

"Petunia is unique to Medway. She was fed sand watered on my window sill in Rochester.

Tabitha said: "It's early days but we are going in the right direction. I have a lot of support from my family and partner with IT skills, and putting out leaflets.

"I'd like to be in a position to replace my second-hand equipment with new equipment and one day open a cafe."