STORY: CAVAN BAKERY’S £1.5M EXPANSION AS IT PROOVES TRACK RECORD FOR SUCCESS

An independent, family-owned Surrey bakery is tripling its footprint to support the growing demand for its expertly crafted artisanal bread, savoury and sweet treats.

Cavan Bakery has moved into a new 15,000 sq ft purpose-built baking facility in Walton-on-Thames with the support of a £1.5m funding package from Lloyds Bank.

The business, which also has 13 bakery shops across Surrey and South London, and a café at Molesey Boat Club, produces 40 different types of bread each day and 30 different pastries, buns and cakes, alongside snacks such as sausage rolls and sandwiches. The majority of Cavan Bakery’s speciality breads are sourdoughs, made by skilled artisan bakers every night and early morning, as has been the case since 1929. The bakery produces 15 different breads daily. In total over 80,000 products are supplied into its shops and cafés as well as wholesale to local businesses each week.

The new bakery is almost three times larger than its previous 5,200 sq ft space and offers greater capacity to store ingredients and boost production. The fit-out of the former warehouse was designed by the business to create the customised space required to deliver its ambitions to grow. Amid increasing demand for ethical, locally-produced artisanal food, Cavan Bakery is now looking to open at least another three shops this year.

Cavan Bakery employs around 180 people from the local area, and the business sees investing in a contemporary, purpose-built production environment as essential for attracting and retaining talent. This included investing in new machinery to help reduce running costs and become more efficient. For example, it has reduced the number of ovens it needs, by investing in larger, more efficient models to produce its goods. The business is also exploring electrifying its fleet of delivery vehicles, having recently invested in its first electric van.

In addition to its retail outlets, the business supplies over 100 wholesale customers in the area, including local cafés, restaurants and farm shops, which accounts for around 15% of its total business. Ingredients for its products are sourced as locally as possible to reduce food miles, and any surplus food is donated to local community kitchens, food banks, homeless shelters and breakfast clubs.

Jeff Greenall, Director at Cavan Bakery, said: “We’re really privileged that we’ve been able to grow at a strong and steady rate, particularly over the last decade as people have discovered the craft of skilled artisan bakers who provide quality and diverse goods. We are proud to provide our customers with local, sustainably-sourced products.

“People are at the heart of our success. This includes our fabulous staff and our loyal customers.
In return, we want to create the best products possible at an affordable cost. Our new bakery and shops will ensure that, because quality is baked into everything we do – literally.”

Victoria Vawdrey, Relationship Director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Cavan Bakery is an excellent example of a business that puts its customers at its heart. Jeff and the team ensure that new products, as well as beloved staples, are produced with the love and care that customers appreciate in artisan producers. In particular, it’s so encouraging to see a business giving back to the community too, supporting local initiatives and helping to create a fairer world. We’re proud to be by Cavan Bakery’s side, and we look forward to remaining there as it continues to grow.”