Our story
It started with one loaf
In 2016 Theo Marsh left an office job to bake bread. Ten years on, the ovens on Lark Lane still go on at 4am, and the first croissants are out by seven.
Ten years on Lark Lane
- 2016
Theo starts selling sourdough from a market stall on Saturdays, baked overnight in a rented kitchen.
- 2018
The old greengrocer on Lark Lane comes up for rent. The stall becomes a shop with one oven and four stools.
- 2021
A second oven, a proper coffee machine and Rosa, who brings croissants that people queue round the corner for.
- 2024
The back room becomes the class kitchen. Over two thousand people have now shaped their first loaf there.
The people behind the counter
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Theo Marsh
Founder and head baker
Left a desk job in 2016 to bake bread full time. Still starts the ovens at 4am most days.
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Rosa Quinn
Pastry chef
Trained in Lyon and runs the croissant masterclass. Will talk butter temperature for hours.
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Amara Bello
Café manager
Knows every regular’s order and most of their dogs’ names.
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Jess Hall
Head barista
Picks the filter coffee of the week and pours the best hearts on Lark Lane.
How we bake
Flour from the north
Stoneground flour from a family mill two hours away, and milk from a dairy across the Mersey.
Nothing goes to waste
Yesterday’s loaves become croutons, bread pudding and toast. What is left goes to a food bank on Fridays.
Paid properly
Everyone here earns at least the Real Living Wage, and the bakers finish by early afternoon.
