Homebaked Bakery sits in the shadow of Liverpool FC and has a legion of fans – not just those who buy its pies on match days.
The bakery, (and café, and pie shop) is in the media spotlight, attracts celebrities, and has even been turned into a stage musical (think, Bake Off meets Brassed Off), thanks to its heartwarming story of ordinary folk fighting for their neighbourhood.
In 2011, the building which has been a bakery for 100 years, was – symptomatic of the decline that blighted the area – earmarked for demolition.
During the Liverpool Biennial arts festival, a Duch artist chose the empty building as her base. In response to the demand of locals, the art collective reopened it as a community bakery.
Sally Anne-Watkiss, chair of Homebaked Bakery, explains: “People from outside the area do a project and leave no lasting roots. Our approach was not do something for the community, but support them to do it themselves.”
The bakery is a beacon, and is a huge team effort, run by the community for the community.
“It’s accessible, affordable, and provides jobs and opportunities for the local community.”
On match day, their pie sales keep the café and bread affordable for locals.
A staff of 20 are complemented by six youngsters who freelance on match days and weekends.
“We employ people who are furthest from the job market for various reasons. We’re a real living wage employer and structure our contracts to meet people’s needs.”
They began a training academy with National Lottery money for people with additional needs.
The bakery became a lifeline in the pandemic. Then the cost-of-living crisis hit. It saw a 300% increase in their electricity bill, rising alongside food inflation; they applied for grants to keep their food affordable to locals.
The enterprise now has a half a million turnover, with their pie production unit baking up to 3,000 pies per week.
Their vision for the bakery is to be there for another 100 years.
The enterprise was described by novelist Frank Cottrell- Boyce as not just an “unmissable pie shop” but “a portal to a vision of a better world.”
“We’re proof you can run a business that’s really positive in one of the most deprived areas of the country.”
