Hobbs House Bakery
Hobbs House Bakery is a fifth-generation, family-owned UK artisan bakery producing handmade bread, cakes, and pastries through four South West retail shops, a national e-commerce store, and a wholesale network serving cafes, restaurants, farm shops, and national retailers via own fleet and foodservice distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hobbs House Bakery does
Hobbs House Bakery is a fifth-generation, family-owned artisan bakery founded in 1920 by Thomas and Mabel Herbert in Down Ampney, now headquartered and producing in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. The company employs 101-250 staff and operates four retail shops (Bristol Gloucester Road, Chipping Sodbury, Nailsworth, Tetbury) selling fresh bread, cakes, pastries, and Extract Coffee. Its wholesale division supplies farm shops, restaurants, cafes, event caterers, and national accounts including Co-op, National Trust, and Gloucester Services through its own van fleet within a 50-mile radius and via national distributors (Bidfood, Creed, Holdsworth, West Country) across the UK. The technical foundation is traditional craft rather than automation: a continuously maintained 71-year-old sourdough starter culture, an overnight fermentation method dating to the 1920s, regenerative and organic flour sourcing within 10-15 miles of the bakery, and a ~150-SKU product catalogue spanning sourdough loaves, sandwich loaves, organic/regen lines, rolls, morning goods, cakes, and specialties.
The business monetises through three revenue streams: physical retail store sales (including the HHB Loyal points-based loyalty programme redeeming 500 points for a £5 voucher), direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Shopify delivering nationally via APC overnight (bread boxes, bake-at-home frozen pastries and pizza dough, baking equipment, branded merchandise, gift vouchers), and wholesale B2B (a dedicated Cybakeshop portal plus a sub-brand portfolio covering Sourdough, Sandwich Loaves, Organic & Regen, Rolls, Morning Goods, Cakes, and Speciality categories). Pricing is unit-based across all channels, with a 10% first-order email discount used as a top-of-funnel acquisition incentive.
Operationally, the company is led by George Herbert as Managing Director, retains full Herbert-family ownership with no external institutional capital, holds B Corp certification (first UK bakery, 2019; +13.4% at 2022 recertification), is Soil Association organic certified, and was awarded the King's Award for Sustainable Development in 2024, with community impact anchored by the 10-year Ifakara Bakery Project in Tanzania and weekly bread donations to FareShare and Family Food 4 Free. A stated £15M turnover target by 2030 and a recent Chipping Sodbury production capacity expansion signal an active growth phase built on craft, credentials, and channel breadth rather than technology differentiation.
Hobbs House Bakery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hobbs House Bakery
- Legal name
- Hobbs House Bakery Ltd
- Website
- https://hobbshousebakery.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hobbs House Bakery is a fifth-generation, family-owned UK artisan bakery producing handmade bread, cakes, and pastries through four South West retail shops, a national e-commerce store, and a wholesale network serving cafes, restaurants, farm shops, and national retailers via own fleet and foodservice distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hobbs House Bakery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Bakery Products
- NAICS
- Retail Bakeries (311811), Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Artisanal & Craft Bakeries (CRAHAGAA), Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC), Specialty Dietary Bakeries (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly) (THAFAFAI)
Keywords
Where Hobbs House Bakery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Hobbs House Bakery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Store Sales: Physical bakery shops in Bristol, Chipping Sodbury, Nailsworth, and Tetbury selling fresh bread, pastries, cakes, and coffee to consumers.
- E-commerce / Direct-to-Consumer Online Shop: Online ordering through hobbshousebakery.co.uk for bread boxes, bake-at-home products, and baking equipment delivered nationally via APC overnight service.
- Wholesale B2B Sales: Bread and confectionery supplied to farm shops, restaurants, cafes, event caterers, and national retailers. Fresh and frozen options available with dedicated online ordering portal.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bread Box (Build Your Own) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Baking Equipment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Beans |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Vouchers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Loyalty Programme (HHB Loyal) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hobbs House Bakery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hobbs House Bakery produces and retails handmade artisan bread, pastries, cakes, and confectionery under the Herbert family's fifth-generation baking heritage (founded 1920). It sells through four retail shops in the South West of England, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store shipping nationwide, a wholesale B2B division supplying restaurants, cafes, farm shops and national retailers, and a cookery school offering baking courses.
Product overview
Hobbs House Bakery is a fifth-generation family-run artisan bakery offering handmade bread, pastries, and confectionery. The product portfolio consists of a direct-to-consumer online shop selling Bread Boxes (customizable and pre-curated), a Bake At Home range (frozen pastries and sourdough pizza dough), Baking Equipment (professional-grade tools and accessories, sourdough starter, organic flour, branded books, and coffee), and Gift Vouchers. The business operates a separate Wholesale division supplying professional bakers, cafés, restaurants, and caterers across the South West and nationally through distributors. The Wholesale range is organized into sub-brands: Sourdough Range (including St Martin, Square St Martin, Organic Wild White, Organic Rye, Turmeric & Chilli, Large White, and Organic Seeded), Sandwich Loaves (Sherston overnight loaf, Everyday Harvest, Everyday White, GiFt Gluten Free, Pain De Campagne, Focaccia, Harvest Bloomer, White Bloomer, Six Seed Malted), Organic Range (Organic Wild White Sourdough, Organic 5 Seed Spelt, Organic Rye Sourdough, Organic Spelt, Organic Wholemeal, Organic Malted Oat, Wild Buns, Organic Seeded Wild White), Rolls (Smash Bun, Ultimate Burger Buns, Dinner Rolls, Harvest Rolls, English Muffins, Floury Baps, Ciabatta Roll, Baguette Paysan, Seeded Baguette), Morning Goods (All Butter Croissant, Cinnamon Buns, Granola Crunch Croissant, Pain Au Chocolat, Pain Aux Raisins, Fruit Scones, Cheese Scones, All Butter Scones, Spinach & Ricotta Slice, Tea Cakes), Cakes (The Wave Bar, Hiker's Bar, Bakewell, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Tiffin, Chocolate Orange Brownie, Lemon Drizzle, Banana Chocolate & Caramel, Banana Cake Untopped, Lardy Cake), and Speciality (Fig Loaf, Ciabatta Loaf, Frozen Pizza Dough, Quiche Base, Bath Buns, Gingerbread Man). The company also operates a loyalty programme (HHB Loyal) for retail customers. A standout product is the 71-year-old Sourdough Starter, used as the foundation for all sourdough breads and also sold to home bakers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bread Boxes (Build Your Own / Variety Bread Boxes) Customisable and pre-assembled boxes of freshly baked handmade bread sold direct-to-consumer via the online shop. Customers select specific loaves and quantities ranging from single loaves to multi-pack boxes. Bread is baked to order and delivered fresh on Wednesday or Friday slots via APC overnight service.
- Bake At Home Range A range of frozen pastries and sourdough pizza dough for customers to bake at home, including frozen croissants, cinnamon buns, and pizza bases, sold direct-to-consumer through the online shop.
- Baking Equipment & Accessories Professional-grade baking tools and accessories sold direct-to-consumer mirroring those used in the bakery, including bread tins, proving baskets, dough scrapers, the proprietary 71-year-old sourdough starter, organic flour, Extract roasted coffee beans, branded books, and HHB caps.
- Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers redeemable in the online shop for bread, cakes, baking equipment, and courses, available in denominations from £10 to £250 with a 12-month expiry from purchase.
- Cookery School Courses In-person baking courses run by Hobbs House Bakery's cookery school for individual consumers and groups, contacted via [email protected].
- Wholesale Sourdough Range B2B wholesale range of sourdough breads made with the bakery's 71-year-old sourdough starter, including St Martin Sourdough, Square St Martin, Organic Wild White, Organic Rye, Turmeric & Chilli, Large White Sourdough, and Organic Seeded Sourdough, supplied to restaurants, caterers, cafes, and farm shops.
- Wholesale Sandwich Loaves B2B wholesale range of artisan sliced breads designed for cafes and sandwich makers, including the Sherston overnight loaf, Everyday Harvest, Everyday White, GiFt Gluten Free, Pain De Campagne, Focaccia, Harvest Bloomer, White Bloomer, and Six Seed Malted.
- Wholesale Organic Range B2B wholesale range of organic breads certified by the Soil Association and made with flour from Shipton Mill, including Organic Wild White Sourdough, Organic 5 Seed Spelt, Organic Rye Sourdough, Organic Spelt, Organic Wholemeal, Organic Malted Oat, Wild Buns, and Organic Seeded Wild White.
- Wholesale Rolls B2B wholesale range of bread rolls for restaurants, events, and caterers, including Smash Bun, Ultimate Burger Buns, Dinner Rolls, Harvest Rolls, English Muffins, Floury Baps, Sourdough Ciabatta Roll, Baguette Paysan, and Seeded Baguette, with many made using regeneratively farmed flour.
- Wholesale Morning Goods B2B wholesale range of morning pastries and baked goods including All Butter Croissants, Cinnamon Buns, Granola Crunch Croissant, Pain Au Chocolat, Pain Aux Raisins, Fruit Scones, Cheese Scones, All Butter Scones, Spinach & Ricotta Slice, and Tea Cakes for cafes and food service.
- Wholesale Cakes B2B wholesale range of cakes made from scratch including The Wave Bar, Hiker's Bar, Bakewell, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Tiffin, Chocolate Orange Brownie, Lemon Drizzle, Banana Chocolate & Caramel, Banana Cake, and Lardy Cake.
- Wholesale Speciality B2B wholesale range of specialty products including Fig Loaf, Ciabatta Loaf, Frozen Pizza Dough (made with sourdough starter), Quiche Base, Bath Buns, and Gingerbread Man for cafes, restaurants, and caterers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Britain's Best White Loaf 2026 - Sherston loaf recognised as nation's best white bread
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Hobbs House Bakery
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hobbs House Bakery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
Feature3 records
Hobbs House Bakery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Shipton MillcoreFlour supplier for over 4 decades, located just 15 miles from the bakery. Produces flour with unsurpassed texture and flavour. Partnership founded on shared values of provenance, sustainability, and quality. Source of organic and specialty flours including stoneground varieties.
- Matthews Cotswold Flourcore8th generation family-run mill supplying regenerative flour for all bakery rolls. Partnership enables farm visits to see regenerative farming practices. Key supplier for Wild Buns and Ultimate Burger Bun regeneratively farmed flour.
- John Prior (Local Farmer)coreLocal farmer whose farm is located just 10 miles from the bakery. Provides wheat for Organic Wild White Sourdough made from Maris Widgeon grain. Part of 'know your farmer' commitment to sourcing from healthier soils.
- Ifakara Bakery Projectflagship10-year partnership supporting children and communities in Tanzania through bread donations. Every GiFt Gluten Free loaf purchased results in a donation. Over 200,000 loaves and 1.6 million meals provided. 15,000 children fed and 1,000 expectant mothers supported.
- Soil AssociationcoreLongstanding partnership ensuring organic breads meet high certification standards. First organic loaf baked 40 years ago following customer's request for organic flour. Continued collaboration on organic and regenerative farming practices.
- Bako WesterncoreIngredient supplier for cakes and pastries, relationship spanning over 20 years. Operates as a cooperative serving members and works to reduce environmental impact.
- EdmeminorSupplier of malted wheat for Harvest Loaf and St Martin Sourdough for 7 years. Works to reduce environmental impact, hires local people and apprentices, and aims to source grain locally.
- Smart PackagingminorSupplier of FSC-certified cardboard boxes for product packaging. Hyper-local business partnership for over 20 years ensuring sustainable packaging.
- Extract Coffee RoasterscoreBristol-based coffee roaster supplying the exclusive HHB blend used in all shops for the past 10 years. Custom roasted beans available for purchase online (1kg for £28).
- BidfoodcoreNational wholesale food distributor enabling nationwide availability of Hobbs House Bakery products beyond direct delivery area.
- Creed FoodservicecoreNational wholesale food distributor covering the South West and beyond.
- Holdsworth FoodscoreNational wholesale food distributor enabling product reach across the UK.
- West CountrycoreNational wholesale food distributor supporting UK-wide distribution.
- Arthur DavidminorRegional food service distributor covering South West England.
- DoleminorRegional food service distributor covering Bristol area.
- Bramleys WholesaleminorRegional wholesale distributor covering Cotswolds area.
- Four Seasons FruiterersminorRegional distributor covering Oxford and surrounding areas.
- Savona FoodserviceminorRegional food service distributor covering the South of England.
- FareShareflagshipFood charity partnership redistributing surplus bread to communities. Commitment to donate 200 loaves per week. 900kg food donated via FareShare in 2024. Part of circular economy approach ensuring no bread goes to landfill.
- Family Food 4 FreeflagshipCommunity food initiative set up during COVID providing surplus food to those in need with no questions asked. Hobbs delivers bread twice weekly. Founded by Aimee and Daniel Waters.
- The Long Table / Feeding ChangeflagshipCommunity interest company founded by Tom Herbert addressing food access and social connection. Partnership includes team members' families working with the initiative. Question: 'What if everyone in our community had access to great food and people to eat it with?'
- The Better Food CompanyflagshipWholesale customer since 1999 facilitating bread donations to St Werburghs Foodbank. Partnership enables surplus bread redistribution to families and individuals facing food insecurity across Bristol. Shared commitment to local sourcing and real bread.
- Square Food FoundationcoreBristol-based cooking education organisation teaching 'Story of Bread' in local schools. Hobbs financially supported the start of this project bringing baking to children. Foundation runs free and subsidised classes, recipe kit delivery, and food education programmes for 15+ years.
- RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)minorSupplier of regenerative burger buns, pastries, cakes, and scones to Chelsea Flower Show for 4th consecutive year. Aligns with sustainability themes and investment in future generations through school gardening initiatives.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hobbs House Bakery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gail's Artisan Bakery: UK chain of neighbourhood artisan bakeries producing handmade bread, pastries and cakes for retail and wholesale. Operates the same product-led, heritage-driven, multi-channel model as Hobbs House Bakery with similar sustainability and provenance positioning.
- Bread Ahead: London-rooted artisan bakery and baking school with retail shops, wholesale distribution and an online store selling bake-at-home kits. Directly comparable in combining handmade bread, teaching/education, DTC e-commerce and B2B supply.
- Bertinet Bakery: Bath-based artisan bakery founded by chef Richard Bertinet with a bakery school, retail site and wholesale line. Closest South West England geographic peer and near-identical product mix of handmade sourdough, sandwich loaves and teaching offerings.
- E5 Bakehouse: East London craft bakery specialising in sourdough and slow-fermentation breads sold via retail, farmers' markets and wholesale to cafés. Comparable as a small-batch, sourdough-anchored artisan bakery with direct and wholesale distribution.
- Paul UK: French-origin UK bakery chain offering artisan breads, viennoiserie and patisserie through retail shops and supply to foodservice. Overlaps Hobbs House on premium artisan bread, café/retail format and food-service wholesale.
- Lovingly Artisan Bakery: Independent UK artisan bakery producing organic sourdough and slow-fermented loaves for retail and wholesale. Closely comparable on craft positioning, organic sourcing, regenerative flour and direct/wholesale split.
Broad incumbents
- The Bread Factory: Large UK commercial bakery group producing artisan-style breads and morning goods for supermarket, food-service and wholesale customers. Comparable on the wholesale/B2B side as a broader incumbent serving national grocers alongside Hobbs House.
Regional players
- Cinnamon Square Bakery: Independent Reading-based artisan bakery with retail bakery, café and wholesale serving regional customers. Comparable product mix (artisan loaves, cakes, savoury items) but a different South East geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hobbs House Bakery social profiles
Digital presenceHobbs House Bakery compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Hobbs House Bakery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hobbs House Bakery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hobbs House Bakery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hobbs House Bakery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hobbs House Bakery
What does Hobbs House Bakery do?
Hobbs House Bakery produces and retails handmade artisan bread, pastries, cakes, and confectionery under the Herbert family's fifth-generation baking heritage (founded 1920). It sells through four retail shops in the South West of England, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store shipping nationwide, a wholesale B2B division supplying restaurants, cafes, farm shops and national retailers, and a cookery school offering baking courses.
Is Hobbs House Bakery a public or private company?
Hobbs House Bakery is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hobbs House Bakery founded?
Hobbs House Bakery was founded in 1920. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hobbs House Bakery based?
Hobbs House Bakery is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Hobbs House Bakery make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce / Direct-to-Consumer Online Shop and wholesale B2B Sales.
Who are Hobbs House Bakery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gail's Artisan Bakery, Bread Ahead, Bertinet Bakery, E5 Bakehouse, Paul UK and Lovingly Artisan Bakery. The Bread Factory is listed as a broad incumbent. Cinnamon Square Bakery is listed as a regional player.
Does Hobbs House Bakery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hobbs House Bakery.
What industry is Hobbs House Bakery in?
Hobbs House Bakery's product category is Artisan Bakery Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAA, Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery), with a secondary code of CRAHAGAA, Artisanal & Craft Bakeries. Its NAICS code is 311811 and its SIC code is 2050.