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THIS WEK
Homebaked are famous for their award-winning pies
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he story of award-winning Liverpool bakery, Homebaked, has almost become woven into the city’s folklore. Anfield residents’ dogged fight to transform a derelict bakery into a thriving community hub even inspired a musical, which garnered rave reviews at the Royal Court Theatre last year. Now, in addition to its iconic home in Oakfield Road, Homebaked has set up shop in St George’s Hall, where customers can expect to encounter the same spirit, camaraderie and, of course, seriously good pies, that have made the business a household name on Merseyside. “It’s really touching that after all the work that went into saving the building in Oakfield Road – and all the effort and money that has been put in – we’re up to the standard to be able to go into St George’s Hall,” said Angela McKay, Homebaked Bakery’s operations manager. “It’s like a feather in our cap, and we’re really proud that we were selected because we had to put a proposal together and go up against other people that were interested in the café space.” It would have been impossible to predict the profound impact and ever-burgeoning success of the bakery when it opened its doors in 2013. Back in 2002, Anfield was labelled as a ‘market failure’ and designated as a Housing Market Renewal area, with 1,800 residential and commercial properties set to be demolished. Local landmark, Mitchell’s Bakery, was one of those properties, despite the fact that a community bakery had occupied the site on 197-199 Oakfield Road since 1903. Out of despair for the area’s gradual decline and a faint sense of optimism for its future, two organisations were born: Homebaked Bakery Co-operative and Homebaked Community Land Trust. Whilst the latter strives to deliver housing and other community facilities at permanently affordable levels for local people, the bakery has established a reputation for producing some of the best baked goods in the city as well as constantly working to give back to the local community.
THIS WEEK
New home for beloved bakery Anfield’s Homebaked Bakery have fired up the ovens at their new St George’s Hall Café. BETH LINDOP finds out all about their new city centre base
“It’s been blood, sweat and tears for a number of years,” Angela told Mersey News Live. “We didn’t have a lot of money behind us to start with, and there was no one backing us so everything we’ve done we’ve learnt from, and it’s been trial and error.” Despite having established itself as an Anfield mainstay, Homebaked has endured a difficult couple of years owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Whilst the bakery prefers not to be labelled as ‘Red’ or ‘Blue’, the Oakfield Road shop sits in the shadow of Liverpool’s famous Kop, and the return of matchday revenue has provided the business with a much-welcomed boost. “It’s great to see fans back because
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It’s been blood, sweat and tears for a number of years
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Liverpool Football Club is a big part of living in Anfield; whether you’re annoyed because you can’t get in to park your car or whether you’re a supporter,” Angela said. “It’s lovely to see a bit of life back along that road as well after two years of having no one around. It’s a nice feeling to be getting back to some normality.” And Homebaked’s “new normal” involves baking up a storm at their St George’s Hall café, which opened at the end of January. The menu is packed with a whole host of homemade and locally sourced treats, including the bakery’s award-winning Scouse Pies, vegan pies, and a range of freshly crafted cakes and scones.
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n addition to the baked goods on offer, customers can get involved with the Fans Supporting Foodbanks initiative, which supplies a quarter of all North Liverpool foodbanks’ donations. Those wishing to contribute to the cause can either take items to one of Homebaked’s stores or scan a code on-site to donate online. “Fans Supporting Foodbanks is something that we’ve always supported and it’s great to work with them,” Angela told Mersey News Live. “We know that Anfield is classed as a deprived ward so anything that we can do to help combat food poverty is really great. “They do their stuff and we do ours and we help each other which is what communities are all about;
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Homebaked’s shops in Oakfield Road and St Geroge’s Hall (above) and some of the treats on offer (left) Photos: Homebaked Bakery
helping each other in any way that they can.” When Homebaked first opened its doors almost a decade ago, the team aimed to fulfill three key objectives: community employment, good quality food and training. And Angela believes that their new home in the heart of the city is evidence that the bakery has stayed true to those fundamental principles. She said: “After the last two years with covid, getting the opportunity to go into St George’s Hall has been validation that what we’re sticking to what we set out to do.”
• Customers can visit Homebaked’s new bakery at St George’s Hall every Tuesday through till Saturday, from 9am to 4pm.
