A SOUTHAMPTON community bakery is officially celebrating its first anniversary this month by offering visitors free birthday cake (December 2022).
Communibakes at 21, St James Road in Shirley was launched last year as the commercial arm of Communicare – the charity dedicated to eradicating loneliness and isolation in the city.
Ally Molyneaux, Bakery Manager, who is Cordon Bleu trained and was a private cook for the Royal family at Kensington Palace, says: “To help mark our birthday, we’re going to offer the first 30 people through our door on Thursday, December 15 from 8.30am a free slice of our birthday cake. We’ve chosen 30, as last year, our launch year, coincided with Communicare’s 30th anniversary as a charity. The 30 slices will be given away on a first come first served basis, no purchase necessary.
“It’s been an amazing first year, which has seen us extend our opening hours, host events, have tables for customers to sit at on the pavement outside and expand our team and our range.
“We employ two full-time bakers, Kieren and Kev, as well as me, as a full-time manager. We have also recently welcomed two new Counter Assistants, Maeve and Sara to join our original assistants, Chris and Megan.
“We also now offer a diverse selection of breads and cakes, soups, pizzas and jacket potatoes for hungry lunchtime customers. Plus, people can order online from us via our website and Deliveroo. Everything we make and bake helps raise funds for Communicare and its work in our neighbourhood and across the city.
“We try to do our bit for the community too and have a voucher wall for anyone who might be struggling. They can choose a voucher from the wall for a loaf of bread or cake or other sweet or savoury treats and cash it in at the counter. People who are more fortunate are urged to purchase vouchers for the wall and we are extremely grateful for anything people can spare.”
As well as supporting Communicare, the bakery’s other aim is to use only the best real ingredients in its bakes. For example, the sausage meat for its sausage rolls comes from nearby Upton’s of Basset and it only uses real butter in its bakes, except its vegan ones. Everything sold in the shop is made by hand, using traditional methods, by the talented bakers.
Ally continues: “As well as using fabulous ingredients, we also put lots of love and passion into what we produce and the proof is in the eating!
“The profit from every coffee, lunch or elevenses customers purchase from us goes to Communicare, to support the incredible work the staff and volunteers do in our neighbourhood and across Southampton. So, when you buy from us, you can be confident you’re not only eating something sensational, but you’re also giving back to your community. So, we’ve combined the idea of buying locally and buying socially.”
Communicare, which is a friendly, neighbourhood charity, provides services that enrich the lives of lonely and isolated people in and around Southampton.
Its services are staffed by its devoted volunteers, known as Communiteers, who give their time freely.
The charity is currently supporting more than 600 individuals/families through tasks including one-to-one telephone befriending and transport for essential appointments and assistance with shopping.
The services Communicare provides are free to users, although beneficiaries are invited to make a donation if they are able to, and Communiteers are offered expenses.
Communicare purchased Love Cake and rebranded it to CommuniBakes in 2021, to offer residents a community hub selling bread and cakes.
It raised more than £6,400 with a crowdfunding campaign, which gained the support of 111 backers, to help pay for work on the venture to get it up and running.
All profits from the bakes sold go towards the charity and the work it does to help lonely and isolated people across Southampton.
Annie Clewlow, Communicare’s Manager, says: “It’s been a wonderful first year at our community bakery and we’re delighted with how things have gone. We wanted to create a community hub, as well as offer great products at a good price. We are very proud of our Bakery team and what they have achieved so far.
“Our services are a vital lifeline to lonely and isolated people in the city and having the bakery as an additional revenue stream has helped us tremendously. We’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who has popped in during the past 12 months and purchased some bread or a delicious, sweet treat.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about CommuniBakes, which is at 21, St James Road in Shirley, is invited to pop in when it’s open, visit its website www.communibakes.co.uk or to call 023 8070 1888.
