Construction worker turned baker sends soda bread to Obama for St. Patrick’s Day

Mayo man sending dough to White House for March 17 celebrations

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Simon Stenson is sending Obama a consignment of Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day

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A former unemployed construction worker, who reinvented himself as a baker, is sending Obama a consignment of Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day.

"Apparently, it will have to be tested and examined by security,” said Mayo man Simon Stenson.

“We are just thrilled that some of our bread will be eaten by Mr Obama and his family. We can’t believe it," gushed Stenson.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will bring 20 loaves of bread baked by Stenson to the White House when he travels there for St. Patrick’s Day over the weekend.

Stenson (38) worked as a project manager on some of biggest developments of the Celtic Tiger before he was laid off and lost his six figure salary. 

Stenson was out of work for two years when his wife Siobhan gave him a voucher for cookery lessons at Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe House in Cork. He then took out a loan and continued his studies with an intensive course before he set up a small bakery in the kitchen of a pub in Co. Mayo.

"We started supplying a few outlets and then it started to grow," he said.

Last month his Cherry Blossom Bakery moved to a new base at Breaffy Industrial Park where the company now employs 12  people, all former construction workers. In February, his new business also won the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Award for Connacht.

Watch Simon talk about his business below:

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