Declan’s Delights approaches five-year anniversary
Local treasure, Declan’s Delights, is approaching its five-year anniversary of serving the Bluffton area. Owner Brit Boggan spent years in the hospitality industry before accidentally starting the business.
Brit graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2009 and immediately began working in restaurants and on cruise ships, eventually becoming executive chef for a restaurant in Orlando, FL. But it wasn’t until she started working at a golf course with a standout dessert menu that she found her true passion—baking.
Around that time, just as they were expecting their first baby, her husband, Matt, was relocated to Bluffton for work. They quickly settled into the Lowcountry with their 6-month-old, Declan.
While Brit loved being a stay-at-home mom, she missed having something that felt like hers alone
“To be honest,” she says, “I thought I’d never bake again.”
But, when Declan was a year and a half old, Brit decided it was time to share her love of baking with her son. She started by teaching him how to make cookies. What she didn’t expect was that, after posting about their kitchen experiments, people wanted to order. Thus began Declan’s Delights.
The business started under cottage bakery laws with social media sales and local farmers markets. If you’ve been with them since the beginning, you might remember Brit standing behind a table of cookies with Declan sitting in a playpen next to her.
Things took off when they got their wholesale license and secured partnerships with Burnt Church Distillery, The Bank and Hilton Head Island Roasters. Demand grew, and the only way they could imagine keeping up was for Matt to go part-time at work to help in the kitchen.
Their proudest moment came last year when they built a mobile bakery and demand for their homemade bagel sandwiches, chicken salad, gooey brownies and oversized cookies has only increased. Matt believes the trailer, which Brit calls her “baby,” showed the community they were truly established.
The couple is currently figuring out the balance between family life and managing multiple revenue streams. They work long hours and rarely take a day off, but they’re happier than ever.
For Matt, the joy comes from working for the family instead of someone else’s pocket. For Brit, it’s about knowing how far they’ve come.
“It started as just this little hobby,” Brit said. “Now we have a store and a food truck. Seeing people waiting for us and excited to see us is so rewarding.”
Their goal is to open a full bakery and retail space, hoping to build a business they can pass on to Declan.
Declan, now six, takes pride in the family business. “When I’m older, I’m going to take over, and Mom won’t have to work, but Dad will still be cooking,” he says.
You can find Declan’s Delights at their wholesale locations, the Bluffton Market with their full breakfast and lunch menu, or at their retail location in Oldfield General Store. They also offer private catering and special orders.
Follow them on social media at @DeclansDelightsCo.
