How it all began
From baking in his mother’s kitchen, to running an enterprising Bakery that continues to grow – the last 20 years have been anything but quiet for Tom Hazzledine.
Tom’s passion for traditional baking and excitement for new flavours has made Baker Tom’s Bread what it is today; a much loved favourite with our loyal customers. We now have four shops and a fleet of vans, delivering award winning bread to businesses across the South West of England.
It’s hard to believe it all started with two loaves of bread on Tom’s bike, but here’s how it all began…
The early years
At the age of 23, Tom returned from a gap year in India and worked at a local farm shop to help fund his college course. One day, the shop was let down by its bread supplier. Tom went home, picked up a recipe book and baked a couple of loaves on his mother’s kitchen counter. He biked the bread back to the farm shop and the bread sold out.
Tom started to bake loaves for the shop each day and it wasn’t long before word spread and demand for Tom’s delicious bread started to rise. Soon production outgrew the kitchen counter (much to his mother’s relief)! and Tom was on the look out for somewhere larger. No stranger to entrepreneurial ideas, Tom saw there was a gap in the market for traditional, wholesome, flavoursome bread in Cornwall. He took the leap and his Baker Tom business began.
Growing the business
Tom moved to a small bakery unit, and, with the help of a small van, he delivered to farmers markets and farm shops nearby. Baker Tom’s Bread was now truly fledged. Working long hours baking by night and early mornings delivering, Tom’s hard work had only just begun.
Wholesale enquiries steadily rose, and with a few bigger customers coming on board, things went from strength to strength. Tom realised he couldn’t do it alone, and the time had come to start building a team around him that could help grow the now flourishing business.
Opening the first shop
2007 saw Tom take the next big step, he brought his bread to the City of Truro and opened his first retail shop in Lemon Street Market.
This allowed Tom to showcase his growing range of organic loaves, specialty bread, seasonal specials, cakes, and pastries now on offer. The opening of his shops in Falmouth, Pool, Wadebridge, and Penzance followed in the years after.
A loaf above the rest
Baker Tom's experienced significant growth, leading to the opening of our first café on Wilson Way, near Redruth. This location quickly became a beloved spot, famous for its hearty big breakfasts and unlimited toast, attracting daily visitors. However, in 2022, Storm Eunice caused extensive damage, leading to the loss of the roof over our bakery and café.
Despite this setback, we've rebuilt and transformed the space into a cosy takeaway. Now, you can enjoy our delicious bacon baps, convenient grab-and-go lunches, hot takeaway drinks, and all your favourite Baker Tom classics.
Going Online
Amid the pandemic, we adapted by launching Baker Tom's online shop, aiming to reach customers unable to visit our mobile bread van or physical stores. Initially, e-commerce wasn't part of our business plan, but it has become a resounding success. This new venture has allowed us to deliver our freshly baked bread to customers across the UK, ensuring that everyone can enjoy our products from the comfort of their homes. The positive response from our customers has been overwhelming, and we are grateful to be able to bring a slice of comfort during challenging times.
On the rise
Today Tom has four shops across Cornwall and a fleet of vans delivering Baker Tom’s Bread to farm shops, independent retailers, restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, caterers, street food vans and food box schemes, such as Cornish Food Box, across the South West and further afield.
The business has also just relocated and invested in a larger more sustainable unit a little down the way from the Pool bakery takeaway.
We are thrilled to open our newest bakery, where we continue our tradition of baking delicious bread while championing environmental sustainability. Using regenerative flour is just one way we're supporting regional businesses and reducing our environmental footprint. We hope this inspires others to join us in this green revolution.