A world-famous Anfield bakery has worked with Liverpool City Council’s Business Support Service to safeguard good jobs and social impact in North Liverpool.
Anfield-based Homebaked is built on more than bread – the cornerstone of the North Liverpool community, it serves thousands of football fans and local residents alike with pies, bread and breakfasts every week.
The bakery and café has forged its name as a hub where people come to eat, socialise and learn. An inclusive approach to employment – which includes employing people with disabilities and additional needs – reflects its strong social values. Yet, as Homebaked has grown, the pressure on its small production site has increased.
Founded 12 years ago by local residents, the co-operative is now backed by more than 200 members. Its recipe for success is simple, but powerful, creating good jobs for local people, quality, affordable food for the community and training and opportunities for local residents.
Homebaked enlisted Liverpool City Council’s Business Support Service and worked with Jaan Scott, a specialist business advisor, funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the UK Shared Prosperity Funding. Jaan focused on boosting capacity without losing their social values, reducing wasted effort and building the confidence to invest in the right equipment.
A series of reorganisations – of the bakery layout, production schedules and the decision to automate its most time-consuming task – making pie lids and bases – led it to unlock capacity, reduce pressure on the team and keep prices steady for customers.
Operations manager Angela McKay describes the change: “Having Jaan’s knowledge on hand really helped us take the steps we needed. That simple change freed up around ten hours a week for training and new skills, making tasks less repetitive, more accessible – and all of us less stressed. The difference has been transformational.”
The changes have created more capacity to meet growing demand, less waste and greater consistency in pies and stronger ties with local suppliers, who benefited from increased orders, increasing the impact of money spent locally.
If your business is looking for support, contact Liverpool City Council at: liverpool.gov.uk/businesssupportservice.
Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, said: “Our Business Support Service is designed to help out organisations like Homebaked – established businesses that can benefit from specialist advice to grow.
“Everyone loves Homebaked’s pies and it’s a proud representative of Liverpool, so it’s great to see them create more capacity, which will help them grow the business and supports its hardworking team.”
Operations manager Angela McKay said: “The improvements in our process have been remarkable. Staff are more engaged, production is smoother and our values are stronger than ever. We’re proud to be growing together with our community.”
