Great British bakeries grow by 20 per cent in the last year

New research reveals…

With the nation hungry for the new season of The Great British Bake Off, Simply Business reveals the number of new independent bakeries across the UK has grown by 1500 per cent over the past five years.

With a consistent increase year-on-year, bakeries seem to be a recipe for success for the nation’s startups, rising by 20 per cent in the last year alone.

The data also demonstrates that more men have felt the need to knead, with a 75 per cent increase in the number of new male-run bakeries in the last two years compared to a four per cent decrease over the same period for women.

The South East is home to the last two winners of the popular television show and has developed a sweet tooth, with the highest regional growth of new artisan bakeries in the UK in the last five years.

Simply Business, which insures more than 425,000 small businesses, looked at the UK’s ten biggest cities and found that Liverpool and Manchester saw the highest growth of new bakeries, whilst the capital’s appetite for cake was lowest. 

Growth in new independent bakeries in the UK’s largest cities (2012-2016) 1. Liverpool 2. Manchester 3. Bradford 4. Edinburgh 5. Leeds 6. Glasgow 7. Birmingham 8. Bristol 9. Sheffield 10. London

    

Fiona McSwein, chief customer officer at Simply Business, said: “The popularity of The Great British Bake Off over recent years has created a nationwide craving for croissants and cupcakes and reminded consumers that nothing beats something homemade.

“Rather than mass-production, the public may now be looking for artisan treats made with natural ingredients and personality by local entrepreneurs. At Simply Business, we are proud to support the nation’s small businesses and sole traders that are putting artisan bakeries back on the menu.”