Homebaked Bakery is based in an iconic neighbourhood building just opposite Liverpool Football Club. The only occupied building in a terrace of boarded-up houses, the bakery and café provides employment, training, mentoring and a place where people can meet.
The existing bakery building was boarded up and at risk of being torn down, so a group of local residents and stakeholders decided to save it through a successful crowdfunding. The bakery business opened in 2013, and an initial grant from Power to Change helped it take on bigger catering contracts, such as providing match day pies at nearby Anfield stadium. Thanks to these additional revenue streams, the bakery has become financially sustainable and is in a strong position to provide long-term employment and training opportunities for local people.
The bakery has since refurbished an additional room, enabling it to grow both its revenue and its team. Today, Homebaked Bakery provides quality employment that’s above minimum wage to 20 people and has 30 active volunteers.
Sustaining the community through Covid-19
When football matches ended due to Covid-19, Homebaked Bakery pivoted its efforts away from generating income to supporting the community through a difficult time. With the help of grants from Power to Change and other providers, it supplied 100 loaves a day for food banks, created treat boxes for key workers and prepared fresh produce as free school meals for 150 local families. Everything was sourced from local producers, helping to keep other businesses trading through a challenging period.
Through the pandemic, the bakery also adjusted its offering to keep trading. It offered treat boxes for businesses and a frozen pie delivery service.
Diversifying for the future
To keep the bakery financially viable and support the needs of the local community, Homebaked Bakery has taken forward some of the initiatives it created during Covid-19. It is still creating treat boxes for businesses, offering packed lunches for children at local schools and is also creating buffets for local events.
Having expanded the bakery to triple its original size, it is now in a stronger position to provide training schemes to help local people learn how to cook low-cost nutritious food. It has already piloted a scheme and is now ready to roll it out through local schools and community groups.
The bakery is also looking at revitalising neighbouring units that are currently derelict to improve the high street.
