Craft Bakers Association

What Craft Bakers Association does

The Craft Bakers Association (CBA), legally The National Association of Master Bakers Limited (company number 04196498, registered in England and Wales in 1890), is a UK private trade association headquartered at 21 Baldock Street, Ware, Hertfordshire. It operates as a membership organisation for independent craft bakeries and the broader UK craft-baking trade, covering England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands. Its core product is tiered annual membership: CB Full Membership at £425+VAT, CB Lite variants (HR or Health & Food Safety) at £325+VAT for new members, a free Student Membership, and a £25-for-two-years Retired Membership. The proposition is anchored by a statutory Primary Authority partnership with Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council Trading Standards, which gives members assured regulatory guidance and a procedural shield against inconsistent enforcement during EHO inspections, alongside unlimited expert advice on employment law, HR, food safety, health and safety, and legal expenses insurance via partner integrations.

CBA monetises through a multi-stream model: recurring member subscriptions, tiered Industry Supporter packages for bakery suppliers (Bronze through Platinum), event tickets for the flagship Business Day, online training courses (£10 per course for members, £13 for non-members), and ancillary product sales including the Book of Breadmaking, with 25% of book revenue donated to the CBA Benevolent and Education Charity. The technology layer is not proprietary but is assembled from third-party SaaS integrations: the CBA Online Training Portal runs on CPL Learning, the BakeCare maintenance programme (launched 2024) uses MaintainX, recurring membership payments are processed via GoCardless direct debit, event ticketing through Ticket Tailor, and card payments through MultiPay. Distribution combines online join flows, phone and email sales, the Business Day flagship event, regional gatherings (Yorkshire, Western), the Farm Shop & Deli Show presence at NEC Birmingham, and a referral scheme (Introduce a Business) plus a Members Recognition Programme with Bronze/Silver/Gold/Diamond loyalty tiers.

Governance is led by CEO Karen Dear, with a board that includes Chairman Nick Harris, Deputy Chairman Shirley Ryder, National President Ivor McKane, and rotating directors; the association is membership-funded with no external investment, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue. Recent strategic activity centres on extending the benefits stack (BakeCare 2024, Worknest HR training October 2023), the 2021 rebrand to the CBA trading name, and continued investment in the Business Day as the primary acquisition and retention event.

Name

Craft Bakers Association

Legal name

The National Association of Master Bakers Limited

Website

https://craftbakersassociation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Craft Bakers Association is a UK trade association (founded 1890) serving independent craft bakeries across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, offering tiered membership that bundles regulatory guidance, employment-law advice, training, insurance discounts, and the statutory Primary Authority partnership into a single annual subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Artisanal & Craft Bakeries (CRAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD), Baking & Pastry Arts (EDAOAKAB)

Keywords

• Trade association services
• Bakery industry support
• Regulatory compliance guidance
• Bakery membership benefits
• Craft baking community

Headquarters

HQ city

Ware

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from craft bakers, students, and retired members. Payment options include one-off annual payment, quarterly, or monthly instalments via direct debit or credit card. Minimum 12-month subscription period with cooling-off period of 14 days.
2. Event Tickets: Revenue from Business Day event tickets including day tickets (£55+VAT), awards dinner (£95+VAT), and member-discounted rates (£25+VAT). Additional revenue from regional events like Yorkshire Region Post Festive Party Night (£85 per person).
3. Book of Breadmaking Sales: Sale of the Craft Bakers Association Book of Breadmaking at £35 per copy. Association donates 25% of each sale to the CBA Benevolent and Education Charity.
4. Online Training Courses: Revenue from online training courses at £10 per course for members and £13 per course for non-members. Courses invoiced monthly to member businesses.
5. Industry Supporter Packages: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Industry Supporter membership packages for bakery suppliers including ingredient suppliers and machinery manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Craft Bakers Association (CBA) is a UK membership-based trade association serving independent craft bakeries across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands. It provides tiered membership subscriptions (CB Full and CB Lite) granting access to unlimited expert advisory services on HR, employment law, food safety, health and safety, and trading standards, along with a statutory Primary Authority partnership, discounted online training, legal expenses insurance, partner discounts, and the BakeCare equipment maintenance programme.

Product overview

The Craft Bakers Association operates a membership-based trade association model offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offering consists of tiered membership packages (CB Full Membership and CB Lite variants) providing unlimited access to expert advisory services including Employment and Legal Services, HR Solutions, and Primary Authority Partnership. Key integrated products include the CBA Online Training Portal (powered by CPL Learning) for staff development, BakeCare for equipment maintenance management, and Business Insurance and Card Payment Solutions through partner integrations. Additional services include the Benevolent Fund for member support, Student Funding for apprentice education, Thirteen Magazine for industry communications, and the Business Directory for supplier connections. The Association also organises flagship events including Business Day and operates a Classified Ads Marketplace and Industry Vacancies Board to support the UK craft baking community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BakeCare: Exclusive maintenance benefit for Craft Bakers Association Members providing equipment maintenance coverage throughout the UK.
• My CBA
• Thirteen

Products and services

• CB Full Membership Full membership package offering unlimited access to expert advice on HR, employment law, health and food safety, Primary Authority Assured Guidance, discounted online training, and member discounts from partner organisations. Priced from £425+VAT annually.
• CB Lite Membership Entry-level membership tier available in two variants: CB Lite with HR Plan and CB Lite Health & Food Safety, offering core membership benefits at a reduced price point of £325+VAT. New members only.
• BakeCare Maintenance Programme Exclusive maintenance benefit for CBA members providing comprehensive bakery equipment maintenance coverage including asset tagging, breakdown reporting via MaintainX platform, and access to a UK-wide engineer network at CBA-negotiated rates (call-out rate of £55/hour).
• CBA Online Training Portal Online training platform powered by CPL Learning offering industry-specific courses at discounted member rates (£10/course vs £13 for non-members), with features for tracking employee progress, downloading certificates, and managing training centrally for bakery staff.
• Primary Authority Partnership Statutory partnership with Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council providing CBA members with assured guidance on Food Safety, Health & Safety, and Trading Standards, with support during enforcing authority inspections. Primary Authority manuals valued at £3,000+VAT if outsourced.
• Book of Breadmaking Comprehensive 16-chapter book on breadmaking published by CBA, sold at £35 per copy with 25% of proceeds donated to the CBA Benevolent and Education Charity.
• Business Day Annual Event Flagship annual event featuring insight sessions, baking competitions, industry supplier exhibitions, and awards dinner. Day tickets £55+VAT, awards dinner £95+VAT, with member discounts available via exclusive code.
• Industry Supporter Packages Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Industry Supporter membership packages for bakery suppliers including ingredient suppliers and machinery manufacturers, providing marketing exposure to CBA members, event sponsorship, and Business Directory presence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save member bakeries up to £4,260 annually through expert partner services and essential business support
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARAG Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBA partners with ARAG Legal Services to provide members access to a confidential legal and tax advice helpline covering Tax Investigation and Tribunal Insurance as part of the membership subscription.
• Safer Food ScorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and health/safety consultants providing expert advice to CBA members for over a decade. Developed baking industry-specific management systems covering food safety, health and safety, and trading standards as part of the Primary Authority programme.
• Horsham District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBA Primary Authority partnership with Horsham District Council Environmental Health and West Sussex County Council Trading Standards. Provides members with statutory support during enforcing authority inspections.
• HR SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBA partnership with HR Solutions provides members free access to HR documentation, guidance, workplace legislation information, draft documents, and on-demand webinars.
• MultiPay Merchant ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBA partnered with MultiPay Merchant Services to offer members discounted rates on card payment solutions, £50 towards CBA membership renewal, and complimentary audits of current payment solutions.
• Expression InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBA partnered with Expression Insurance to offer members bakery insurance and vehicle breakdown cover at 15% discount. Expression specialises in insurance for independent bakeries.
• Focus AssuredminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBA partnered with Focus Assured to provide members energy solutions and hassle-free price comparison for bakery energy contracts.
• CPL LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationCBA training platform in partnership with CPL Learning enables members to access industry-specific courses, track employee progress, download certificates, and manage team training.
• MaintainXcoreTechnology or IntegrationMaintainX platform powers the BakeCare maintenance programme for equipment asset tagging, breakdown reporting, and maintenance scheduling. CBA-negotiated rates through UK-wide engineer network.
• CLEAN Linen & Workwear (Alsco)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBA partnered with CLEAN (part of Alsco Uniforms) to offer preferential rates for members on food production workwear rental and laundry services throughout England and Wales.
• National Food and Drink Training (NFDT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBA partnered with NFDT (specialist training arm of Scottish Bakers) to support apprenticeship programmes. Supports Level 2 Bakery Standard, Level 2 Food and Drink Process Operator, and Level 3 Team Leader/Supervisor apprenticeships.
• WorknestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBA partnered with Worknest to deliver HR and Management Training courses to members through open course calendars.
• Zeelandia UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZeelandia UK is a proud industry supporter for the Craft Bakers Association. Many bakery clients benefit from individual membership.
• CSM IngredientsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCSM Ingredients has a long tradition supplying Craft Bakers with innovative ingredients. Proud partner of CBA providing vital support, guidance, community spirit and a strong collective voice.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Federation of Bakers: UK trade association representing plant bakers and the wider baking industry. Alongside CBA, it is one of the two principal UK baking trade bodies, with a manufacturer/commercial-bakery focus rather than craft/independent focus.
• Scottish Bakers: Trade association for craft and regional bakers in Scotland, operating a sister apprenticeship and training arm (NFDT) that actively partners with CBA. Closest direct functional peer by business model and craft-baker focus.

Emerging players

• The Sourdough School: UK-based sourdough education and training business. Overlaps with CBA's training and apprenticeship offering for a niche of artisan bakers, but at a smaller scale and with a teaching rather than trade-association model.
• Sustain - Real Bread Campaign: Campaign advocating for additive-free bread and small bakers. Competes for the same craft-baker member mindshare and lobbying attention, but operates as a non-profit campaign rather than a full-service trade association.

Regional players

• National Farmers' Union (NFU): UK trade association for farmers. Functionally comparable as a member-funded UK trade body with regional structure and lobbying function, but operates in agriculture rather than food manufacturing or retail.

Broad incumbents

• British Retail Consortium (BRC): UK trade association for the entire retail industry, including in-store bakeries at major grocers. Indirectly competes with CBA's craft bakery base at the retail-bakery level and shares regulatory advocacy functions.
• UKHospitality: UK trade association for the broader hospitality sector including pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Shares regulatory/government affairs overlap with CBA's cafe-bakery members but operates in a much broader industry vertical.
• British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA): UK trade body representing independent retailers across multiple categories. Comparable to CBA in serving small UK businesses with regulatory support, HR, and legal services, but generalist rather than bakery-specific.
• National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers (NABIM): UK trade body for flour millers. Sits upstream in CBA's supply chain and shares overlapping members (ingredient suppliers), but operates in a different industry segment with distinct lobbying focus.

Others

• British Beauty Council: Modern UK trade body for the beauty industry. Comparable membership-based advocacy model and event-driven GTM, but in a completely different sector; useful as a thematic benchmark for membership association governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/craftbakersassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craft-bakers-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Craft Bakers Association