{"id":181,"date":"2023-12-16T16:55:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T16:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/?p=181"},"modified":"2023-12-16T20:52:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T20:52:38","slug":"big-river-bakery-a-surplus-of-loaf-and-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/2023\/12\/16\/big-river-bakery-a-surplus-of-loaf-and-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Big River Bakery: a surplus of loaf and love\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cAll you need is a bit of creativity and a lot of passion\u201d Andy Haddon tells me, placing a piece of Christmas cake with a carrot  marzipan topping in front of me. The christmas-carrot cake hybrid was a baking error made at Big River Bakery, one that Andy\u2019s wife, Gail Lawler, suggests is \u201ceven better than the original.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cake \u2018incident\u2019 represents a lot about what Big River Bakery stands for: it\u2019s a business that uses innovation to create change. This change I refer to is not just limited to baked goods and cake, but is based on the social impact the bakery has on the local community. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"480\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 854 \/ 480;\" width=\"854\" controls src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Big-river-1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Source: Marina Snyder and Facebook@BigRiverBakeryNE<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set up in 2019, Big River Bakery opens its doors six days a week in&nbsp;Shieldfield. Walking into the shop for your first time and you&#8217;ll most likely be hit by the delicious smell of a collection of  bread rolls, muffins and the iconic Geordie classic &#8216;stottie&#8217;. This, however, is no average bakery, for Big River Bakery has a unique business model with the focus of the community at its heart.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although a commercial store, Big River self-funds projects to help people who are struggling, especially&nbsp;during the cost-of-living crisis. Its many&nbsp;contributions include providing daily breakfast bags to local schools and excess food given to refugee families.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With inflation on the rise, many Newcastle businesses have started and arguably struggled with \u2018Pay what you can afford schemes\u2019 such as the likes of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themagichatcafe.co.uk\/\"> Magic Hat Caf\u00e9<\/a>. Big River Bakery is no exception to the \u2018trend\u2019 but what sets them apart is their adaptation. Where these schemes have often struggled due to the \u2018stigma\u2019 around charity, as Gail mentions, the bakery has \u201cfree food for anybody on Wednesdays, not just the homeless. Because what we try to do here is have inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This theme of inclusivity runs its course throughout the entire bakery, even when it comes to the employees. A quarter of the bakery\u2019s workforce is neurodiverse, as their employability programme means local people who struggle in the job market, such as ex-convicts and those with disabilities, can thrive at the bakery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2181-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>One of the bakers working in the back of the bakery. Image Credit: Marina Snyder<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all these different projects and schemes put into place, Big River Bakery does not stop there. With the annual rate of inflation reaching a<a href=\"https:\/\/commonslibrary.parliament.uk\/research-briefings\/cbp-9428\/\"> 41-year high at 11.1% in October 2022<\/a>, Big River Bakery has also implemented a \u2018Warm hub\u2019 from January to March. As a reaction to rising energy prices, the hub offered a warm \u201cplace to come to, even for a few hours\u201d said Gail, &#8220;along with food and activities to support the community&#8221;. It is planned to go ahead again in 2024 due to continuing struggles with living costs in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Feature-audio-clip.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gail talks about some of the programmes and projects Big River Bakery carries out to help those in need and the importance of trust and inclusivity within the business. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Big River\u2019s attempts to support people through the cost-of-living crisis, they have not been immune to these rising prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I asked Gail about the effects of inflation on business, I witnessed the first frown I had seen from her all morning. \u201cAs a business, we try to keep all the costs in our shop down, all our stotties are a pound, and I don\u2019t think we make any money on those. We try to keep all prices affordable where we can &#8211; obviously, that has a big impact, with the cost of ingredients going up, we are making less money\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gail then told me that costs could come up to about 18,000 a year\u2026for just one project. I struggled to not look bewildered as she explained how they don&#8217;t receive any grant funding because of how they operate a commercial business. Wondering, and slightly concerned about how they manage to survive these costs, and still make such a large contributing difference to the community, I was reminded of what Andy had said to me at the start: \u201cCreativity and passion are the answer\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andy couldn&#8217;t have been more right, as through paid bakery courses and an online shop selling food and merchandise, Andy and Gail are innovative when it comes to sustaining their business. A particular shop favourite is the character \u2018Scottie the Stottie\u2019 which features in his own children&#8217;s book to generate more sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:81% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"557\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-16-165109-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-310 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-16-165109-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-16-165109-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-16-165109-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-16-165109.png 1435w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><em>Source: Big River Bakery on-line shop<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/bigriverbakery.myshopify.com\/products\/the-adventures-of-super-scotty-the-stottie-cake\">New The Adventures of Super Scotty the Stottie Cake<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WorldBookDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WorldBookDay<\/a> <br>The power of the written word. Profits from the sale of our new book- The Adventures of Scotty the Shieldfield Stottie will help support free baking sessions for local kids.<br>You can preorder here<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7agD81PC3q\">https:\/\/t.co\/7agD81PC3q<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Big River Bakery (@bigriverne) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bigriverne\/status\/1499355647879614465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 3, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gail and Andy&#8217;s dreams for a better world don&#8217;t stop there, as they continue, like their stotties, to try to grow and expand. In the future, they spoke about their hopes for more premises in other locations, such as a bigger shop in Byker, and their work with Newcastle Medical School to create a protein-enriched stottie to benefit health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Vision of the bakery is that the northeast of England becomes globally recognized as a place where healthy, affordable and sustainable global food systems are happening. On a scale, we are demonstrating part of that in a small way through this concept, but we want to grow that. That\u2019s the vision. Start small and grow out from that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-275\" style=\"width:705px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23039\/2023\/12\/DSCF2177-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Andy Haddon holding a &#8216;star wand&#8217; which were given to customers when the bakery first opened. <\/em>                                           <em>Image Credit: Marina Snyder<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the everyday challenges and struggles with costs, Big River Bakery continues to use its funds for a bigger and brighter cause. Its social impact on the Shielfield community can be used as an inspiration to all, for a need for wider change within society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I left the bakery that day, back into the cold and wet conditions of Shieldfield housing estate, I looked back at the brightly lit bakery, exposed on the street like a guiding star in the night sky. \u201cOur logo is a star\u201d Andy had explained \u201cEach side of the star represents an element needed to survive Fire, Water, Air, Earth and the last one: Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Take a look into &#8216;Big River Bakery&#8217; a business dedicated to helping out the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[28,31,32,30,33,34,29],"class_list":["post-181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-bakery","tag-bigriverbakery","tag-change","tag-community","tag-costofliving","tag-inflation","tag-social"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/marina-snyder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}