A pathway to net zero for artisan bakeries

I obtained data about 140 small bakeries in London, and conducted interviews in England and Scotland with 13 artisan bakers, plus a bakery engineer who supplies and advises small bakeries. 

The data showed that the bakeries consumed roughly the same amount of electricity (which is increasingly produced in lower carbon ways) as natural gas (which is inherently high carbon). The mode average electricity consumption was 15 to 30 MWh per annum, though there was a group of bakeries using large amounts of natural gas to keep down energy costs. A significant minority of the enterprises had per-unit energy costs that were double, or more, those of the best performing bakery, which suggests opportunity for improvement.

Reducing carbon footprint

Electricity supplied into the UK National Grid is quickly decarbonising; the Government has committed to net zero carbon by 2050, as has the National Grid. For this reason, I believe that small bakery owners on the path to net zero should stick to electricity as they expand. Enterprises that use gas need to find ways to switch gradually to electricity to reduce their carbon footprint. During the changeover there may be tension between net zero and energy efficiency objectives, because gas, though more polluting than some methods of electricity generation, is typically cheaper.

Many of the bakery owners reported they were likely to consider low carbon options for their energy supply and powering their vehicles. However, they were very short of funds to implement specific measures, such as solar panels, electric vehicle power point, or more efficient ovens. Availability of funding was limited, due to caution for borrowing on the part of the bakery owners, mirrored by caution of lenders in the financial community. Nevertheless, some expanding and mature enterprises had been able to seize opportunities for improvements in energy efficiency.

All of the family enterprises I interviewed owned their premises, so the obstacles and opportunities they faced differed from bakers who rented their premises. I observed that multi-generational family businesses had been able to engage in very long-term planning, which influenced their decision making, rebuilding a bakery with energy efficiency in mind, for example.

Government support

General start-up advice and support from government had been welcomed by the bakers, as had Covid-related grants and loans. Government policy, however, does not appear to have been supportive of small bakery owners wishing to improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon emissions. I believe that there are opportunities for government to go with the flow of artisan bakers’ values and aspirations. For instance, encouraging bakeries to consider their energy efficiency performance, providing affordable finance at the right time and recognising their role in the local equitable transition to net zero.

Peter Roscoe on LinkedIn

Benchmark your bakery
Small bakery owners, in independent premises with energy meters, can benchmark their energy consumption, and gain advice on identifying opportunities to reduce their carbon footprint and costs. All data shared will be stored and analysed under UCL privacy and research protocols. To express interest and find out more, email Peter Roscoe at UCL.

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Originally published in True Loaf magazine issue 63, July 2025.

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