Family-owned UK Bakery Expands Following a GDP1.5m Funding

An independent, family-owned Surrey bakery is tripling its footprint to support the growing demand for its artisanal bread, savory 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 GDP1.5m 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 specialty 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 custom space required to deliver its ambitions to grow. 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.