Help us open Leavened bakery shop in Old Town

Aim

We are opening a little bakery shop in Stevenage Old Town and need your help setting it up!

Our story 

Leavened was born over two years ago, during lockdown, out of love and passion for good, honest and simple bread. My vision is to share such a wonderful yet humble creation with my community.  

We found a place in the Stevenage Indoor Market and built a small bakery within. Over those two years I was very lucky to find my small tribe to work with, people who share my passion and want to give to others. None of us were bakers from the start but all we think about now, nearly every hour of our days, is how you can mix some flour, water, salt, time and love and create a beautiful loaf. And then share it with other people, who take it home to share it even more.  

But there is a problem – we simply don’t have enough footfall in the market. 

Why stall in the market isn't enough? 

Everyone who comes by loves our bread, but the location is just not strong enough to sustain the number of regular customers that we need.  

In addition, we are only allowed to access the market from 6.30 am till 6 pm from Wednesday till Saturday and 6.30 am till 1.30 pm on a Tuesday. That’s not a lot of time for a bakery! So we desperately need additional premises.    

About the shop 

Opening an independent shop will enable us to extend our trading hours, access our business when we want to and open our doors in the evenings (occasionally). That means more delicious bread and baked good for everybody!  

We have found an amazing space in Old Town high Street, Stevenage, where we will be able to create our own space, where we will be able to invite you to buy bread, have some good coffee and share a pastry or two with your family or friends. My dream has always been to create a meeting point filled with warmth, smell of cinnamon, sugar and butter.  

The time has come for that to become a reality. 

How is it going to work? 

We will keep on baking in our market's kitchen and deliver all the goods to the new shop. There is a space for a small kitchen set up in Old Town where we will be able to bake some extra buns and cakes when the market isn't open.  

Why not move it all to High Street?  

The space there isn't big enough, but it will make an amazing meeting place the market doesn't provide and broaden our customer base.  

What will your money go towards? 

With your support we will be able to equip the shop with  

a bespoke counter,  

fitting of ventilation, 

 benches and tables,  

a small domestic oven (or two),  

equipment, cups and plates  

…..and, if budget allows, a small bread oven, that will allow us to run sourdough workshops which many of you have been asking for. 

This project successfully funded on 30th April 2023