Nottingham bakery crowdfunding

After five years of hand-mixing thousands of pretzels, pastries and sourdough loaves in a home kitchen, Tied Up in Notts founder Rob Mackinder is ready for a new chapter.

To make this happen, he’s running a crowdfunding campaign to raise £10,000 by Sunday 23 November 2025. Rewards on offer range from stickers, a hands-on flour milling experience, and baseball caps; to a year’s supply of pretzels.

Visit the crowfunding page

Pretzel plan

Rob says: ‘my human-scale bakery has built a loyal following at Sherwood, Carrington and Sneinton markets, using local organic stoneground flour to create authentic sourdough. But operating at market scale from home has pushed our family to breaking point, particularly in a neurodivergent household where space for autonomy and sensory retreat is precious.’

Now, Rob has found a new home for Tied Up in Notts: Nottingham Mill Co-op's Flour Kitchen in Sneinton Market Avenues. He sees it as the perfect match for a baker who believes in collaboration over competition and who's passionate about sociocracy - a model of shared ownership and decentralised decision-making.

‘My heart lies in community, in honouring the cereals around us, and in knowing the names of the farmers and millers I work with,’ Rob explains. This connection runs deep - from regenerating soil health, through building climate resilience, to supporting local grain economies in the face of rising commercial rents and gentrification pressures.

Knotty cash

Rob's crowdfunding campaign aims to raise funds for essential equipment: a baker's van, initial rent, trays, stackable tubs and bread baskets.

With new products in development and plans to expand to new markets and stockists, Rob says this move isn't just about reclaiming a family kitchen, it's also about helping to strengthen Nottingham's Real Bread network and proving that small-scale, ethical baking can thrive. As Rob puts it: ‘margins narrow as ethics widen’ but he's determined to keep going.