The Bread & Butter Project
The Bread & Butter Project is an Australian social enterprise bakery that manufactures artisan sourdoughs, pastries, buns and rolls handcrafted by refugee trainees, distributing wholesale to 200+ Sydney cafes/restaurants and through Woolworths Metro concession stores and Harris Farm, with 100% of profits reinvested into its TAFE-accredited refugee training program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMarrickville, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Bread & Butter Project does
The Bread & Butter Project is an Australian social enterprise bakery headquartered in Marrickville, NSW, founded in 2013 by Paul Allam, David McGuiness (of Bourke Street Bakery) and Jessica Grynberg, and registered as an ACNC charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. It manufactures artisan sourdough loaves (White, Fig & Raisin, Night Rye, Wholemeal, 5 Grain, Soy Linseed, Black Sesame & Sunflower), buns/rolls/sliders (Milk Buns, Brioche Buns, Vegan Potato Buns, Dinner Rolls, Panini, Baguettes), muffins/cookies/slices (including gluten-free), and sweet and savoury pastries (croissants, danishes, babkas, pasties). Production uses traditional artisan sourdough fermentation and stone-baking; all products are handcrafted on-site by refugee trainees. Since 2013 the program has graduated 127 refugees from 21 countries across four continents through a TAFE-accredited 13-week cohort model supplemented by English tutoring and job-placement support, funded by 100% profit reinvestment.
The business operates a hybrid wholesale-retail model. Roughly 200+ cafes, restaurants and delis across greater Sydney are served by an enterprise field-sales motion with fresh early-morning deliveries. Retail distribution runs through a concession store inside Woolworths Metro Park Sydney (Erskineville, opened November 2020 — the first outsourced bakery operation in a Woolworths Metro), wholesale supply to 25+ Metro stores, and shelf placement in Harris Farm Markets including native-ingredient collaboration SKUs co-developed with IndigiGrow. Additional revenue comes from bespoke product-development partnerships (e.g., Mr Charlie's custom vegan potato buns for the plant-based chain's Australian launch), and a schools/universities catering vertical (Western Sydney University, Sydney University AFL, Lindfield, Sceggs Darlinghurst).
Revenue is dual-sourced: bread and pastry sales fund approximately 90% of training and operating costs, with tax-deductible donations and corporate grants (Goodman, Westpac and Macquarie foundations) funding the remaining 10%. The current EOFY fundraising target is A$85k to support five additional refugee trainees. Corporate support extends across pro-bono legal (MinterEllison), creative (Polymer Studios, Visually Unique), and operational (Sydney City Toyota vehicles, Animal Logic hardware) contributors, with Canva hosting graduation ceremonies at its Surry Hills HQ. The bakery is governed by a voluntary board chaired by Co-Chairs Paul Allam and Peter Boyd (former CEO; ex-Boral, B&D, Alesco, Blackwoods, Modern Star), with directors including former ALDI Australia CFO Willi Friderich (Company Secretary) and Woolworths Metro GM Nathan Shaw, who explicitly bridges the partnership pipeline.
The Bread & Butter Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bread & Butter Project
- Legal name
- The Bread & Butter Project
- Website
- https://thebreadandbutterproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Bread & Butter Project is an Australian social enterprise bakery that manufactures artisan sourdoughs, pastries, buns and rolls handcrafted by refugee trainees, distributing wholesale to 200+ Sydney cafes/restaurants and through Woolworths Metro concession stores and Harris Farm, with 100% of profits reinvested into its TAFE-accredited refugee training program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bread & Butter Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Bakery Products
- NAICS
- Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bakery & Desserts Distribution (CRAOABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- In-Store / Supermarket Bakeries (THAFAFAE), Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB), Specialty Dietary Bakeries (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly) (THAFAFAI)
Keywords
Where The Bread & Butter Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marrickville
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Bread & Butter Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sales of artisan sourdough breads, pastries, specialty loaves, buns, rolls, and catering products to wholesale customers and retail consumers. Bread and pastry sales fund 90% of training and operation costs. Products sold through Woolworths Metro, Harris Farm, and direct wholesale to 200+ cafés and restaurants.
- Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate partners, and foundations. Donations fund the remaining 10% of training and operations costs. Currently seeking $85k in donations to support 5 more refugee trainees.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Bread & Butter Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bread & Butter Project manufactures and sells artisan baked goods — including sourdough loaves, brioche, buns, rolls, sliders, muffins, cookies, slices, and sweet and savoury pastries — from its Marrickville bakery in Sydney. 100% of profits are reinvested into a TAFE-accredited refugee training program that combines paid bakery traineeships with English tutoring and job placement support, with finished products distributed via wholesale to 200+ cafés/restaurants/delis, retail through Woolworths Metro concession stores and Harris Farm Markets, and direct corporate and education catering orders.
Product overview
The Bread & Butter Project is Australia’s first social enterprise bakery offering a unified portfolio of artisan baked goods. The core product line spans sourdough breads (White Batard, Fig & Raisin Batard, Night Rye Batard, Wholemeal Batard, 5 Grain Batard, Soy Linseed Batard, Black Sesame & Sunflower Batard), sandwich and specialty breads, buns/rolls/sliders (Milk Buns, Brioche Buns, Vegan Potato Buns, Dinner Rolls, Hoagie Rolls, Panini, Baguettes), muffins/cookies/slices (including Gluten Free options), and sweet & savoury pastries (Croissants, Danishes, Babkas, Pain au Chocolat, Pain au Raisin, Bear Claws, Pasties). Specialty offerings include the IndigiGrow Native Ingredient Collaboration line and Mr Charlie's vegan burger buns. All products are handmade by trained refugee bakers, with 100% of profits invested in training and employment pathways for people seeking refuge in Australia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sourdough Range
- Buns, Rolls & Sliders Range
- Muffins, Cookies & Slices Range
- Sweet & Savoury Pastries Range
- Catering Products
- IndigiGrow Native Ingredient Collaboration Products
- Mr Charlie's Vegan Burger Buns
Quantifiable outcome
- 127 refugees trained and employed since 2013
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Bread & Butter Project
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Bread & Butter Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Bread & Butter Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CanvacoreCorporate supporter that hosted graduation ceremonies at Surry Hills headquarters. Long-term supporter providing visibility and venue access.
- MinterEllisonminorLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance as part of supporter network.
- Woolworths MetrocoreFirst concession store opened inside Woolworths Metro Park Sydney in Erskineville (November 2020). First time Woolworths Metro outsourced bakery operations. Supplying 25+ Metro stores across Sydney.
- Mr Charlie'scoreSupplying custom-developed vegan potato buns for California's plant-based fast-food chain's Australian launch in late 2023. Partnership includes unique burger bun development.
- IndigiGrowcoreCollaboration bringing together Australia's oldest and newest inhabitants to create artisan baked goods using locally sourced native ingredients. IndigiGrow employs 10 local Aboriginal staff.
- Tommy PhamminorMasterChef 2021 competitor partnership to develop and distribute fusion 'Bánh Mì Danish' product following rave reviews on the show.
- Sourdough StarterminorSupporting partner providing promotional assistance.
- Polymer StudiosminorCreative studio supporter providing pro bono assistance.
- Visually UniqueminorDesign and visual communications supporter providing pro bono assistance.
- Global SkillscoreEmployment services provider connecting trainees with work opportunities. Head baker and trainees discuss the program with Global Skills team.
- Harris Farm MarketscoreStocked in select Harris Farm stores. Native ingredient collaboration products available at Harris Farm Sydney bakery sections.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Bread & Butter Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bourke Street Bakery: Sydney-born artisan bakery chain founded by the same people (Paul Allam and David McGuiness) who later co-founded The Bread & Butter Project. Directly comparable product range (sourdough, pastries) and quality positioning, though operating as a for-profit multi-site retail bakery rather than a social enterprise.
- Brasserie Bread: Sydney-based artisan bakery producing sourdough, specialty loaves, and catering breads for wholesale and retail customers. Closely comparable in craft baking, product mix, and B2B café/restaurant distribution model.
- St. Honore Bakery: Independent Australian artisan bakery group producing sourdough, pastries, and Viennoiserie with café and wholesale operations. Directly comparable craft baking product and B2B/wholesale channel mix.
- Sonoma Bakery: Australian artisan sourdough and bakery brand with a comparable focus on quality, traditional-method bread and a wholesale-plus-retail café model across Sydney and other capitals.
Broad incumbents
- Country Style Bakehouse: Australian in-store supermarket bakery brand supplying pre-packaged breads and rolls to major grocers including Woolworths. Directly comparable channel of distribution (supermarket in-store bakery) where TBBP also competes.
- BreadTalk: Singapore-headquartered bakery café chain with Australian presence offering artisan-style breads and pastries. Comparable product category and café-channel positioning at much larger international scale.
- Muffin Break: Franchised bakery-café chain in Australia focused on muffins, breads, and savory baked goods sold in shopping centre kiosks and cafés. Overlaps with TBBP on the café-channel and pastry/bun product categories at significantly greater scale.
- Wonder (Goodman Fielder): Mass-market Australian bread brand owned by Goodman Fielder, dominating supermarket bread aisles. Useful benchmark for unit economics and category scale that TBBP operates against in retail channels.
- Bakers Delight: Largest specialty bakery retailer in Australia with a franchise network of hundreds of stores selling fresh bread and baked goods. Represents the scaled incumbent TBBP competes with for retail shelf space and consumer share.
Emerging players
- Loafers Bakery: Independent Sydney artisan bakery offering wholesale breads and pastries to local cafés. Comparable product mix and target customers, smaller scale, useful as a sub-scale peer for unit-economics benchmarking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Bread & Butter Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bread & Butter Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Bread & Butter Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bread & Butter Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
The Bread & Butter Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bread & Butter Project 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 The Bread & Butter Project
What does The Bread & Butter Project do?
The Bread & Butter Project manufactures and sells artisan baked goods — including sourdough loaves, brioche, buns, rolls, sliders, muffins, cookies, slices, and sweet and savoury pastries — from its Marrickville bakery in Sydney. 100% of profits are reinvested into a TAFE-accredited refugee training program that combines paid bakery traineeships with English tutoring and job placement support, with finished products distributed via wholesale to 200+ cafés/restaurants/delis, retail through Woolworths Metro concession stores and Harris Farm Markets, and direct corporate and education catering orders.
Is The Bread & Butter Project a public or private company?
The Bread & Butter Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Bread & Butter Project founded?
The Bread & Butter Project was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Bread & Butter Project based?
The Bread & Butter Project is headquartered in Marrickville, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Bread & Butter Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants.
Who are The Bread & Butter Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bourke Street Bakery, Brasserie Bread, St. Honore Bakery and Sonoma Bakery. Broad incumbents are Country Style Bakehouse, BreadTalk, Muffin Break, Wonder (Goodman Fielder) and Bakers Delight. Loafers Bakery is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Bread & Butter Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bread & Butter Project.
What industry is The Bread & Butter Project in?
The Bread & Butter Project's product category is Artisan Bakery Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOABAE, Bakery & Desserts Distribution, with a secondary code of THAFAFAE, In-Store / Supermarket Bakeries. Its NAICS code is 311812 and its SIC code is 2050.