Our Achievements

In early 2009, Sustaining Dunbar, a community development organisation, funded a marketing survey to investigate the demand for fresh bread in the town. It showed there was still strong demand for a bakery selling high quality bread and cakes made on the premises. Sustaining Dunbar then drew up a three-year business plan for reopening the former Smith’s Bakery as a sustainable community-run enterprise.

In June 2009, Dunbar Community Bakery Limited was officially registered as a community co-operative. In early July we launched a campaign to persuade residents in Dunbar and the surrounding area to become shareholders. By the end of August 160 people had bought shares, contributing £17,600 in equity investment. The bakery project also received pledges of £26,000 in interest free loans and grants. That brought our total funding to nearly £44,000.

A Management Committee was appointed in late August to set up and run the bakery. It includes local entrepreneurs and experts in finance, small business, communications, marketing and community development.

We aim to complete fund raising by the end of November and reopen the bakery during 2010.

Our mission statement

Primary purpose

• To set up and run a community-owned home bakery in Dunbar that produces and sells wholesome and tasty freshly baked bread.
• To develop a range of new and traditional bakery products that cater for both the mass market and specialist demand.
• To become a well-known and respected provider of quality hand-made bakery goods to people throughout East Lothian.

Sustainability

• To trade profitably so that the bakery becomes financially self supporting and sustainable in the medium to long term.
• To develop wholesale markets as well as retail sales through the bakery shop.
• To react imaginatively to the challenges and opportunities that may arise over time so that the bakery remains a successful commercial venture that improves the life of the community.

Social and economic benefit to the community

• To help revive the High Street of Dunbar so that it becomes more attractive as a shopping centre for local residents and as a destination for visitors.
• To create a new source of employment, with the aim of eventually providing a source of social employment for local residents with specific support needs.
• To play an active role in the regeneration of Dunbar as a thriving community that offers a better quality of life to all.
• To promote healthy eating and an improvement in the local diet in conjunction with other local initiatives.