Independent, fast-growing Cornish Bakery has reported its strongest summer to date, with total sales up 24% year-on-year and robust like-for-like growth, outperforming broader high street and hospitality trends.
While the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reported a continued decline in retail spending in August, Cornish Bakery achieved 8% like-for-like sales growth during the same month. This was driven by rising customer numbers and higher average order values, culminating in its strongest-ever week of sales over the August Bank Holiday, with several individual bakeries also setting new records.
New openings in Hereford and Woodbridge, together with the expanded York Coney Street bakery and the refurbished York Colliergate site, have all outperformed expectations, with strong sales and long queues now a regular feature.
Customer satisfaction remains exceptionally high, with Cornish Bakery’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) rising to 72%, based on reviews across Google and TripAdvisor. Building on this success, the company has several new bakeries scheduled to open this Autumn, with a further five locations in advanced negotiations for early 2026, underscoring its continued growth trajectory.
Mat Finch, Managing Director of Cornish Bakery, said, “Our founder, Steve Grocutt, has long said that ‘Bakery is the new coffee shop,’ and we’re seeing that trend play out. The premium bakery segment is growing faster than traditional coffee shops, and customers are seeking fresher, higher-quality food that’s baked and served on-site, not wrapped in plastic. That’s where we win.”
Mat added, “We are so proud of our teams for delivering a record summer with strong like-for-like growth, fulsome customer queues at our newest bakeries, and our biggest ever week of sales. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and their passion is what drives our success. Despite wider pressures on the sector, our performance shows that Cornish Bakery continues to grow from strength to strength.”
Cornish Bakery attributes its continued growth and success to a people-first culture and a clear purpose: to Nourish People. Significant investment in training, internal promotions, and recognition programs has driven high employee engagement and earned the company recognition as one of the UK’s Best Companies to Work For. Building on this foundation, Cornish Bakery has recently launched its mission to ‘Change Hospitality for Good,’ aiming to establish itself as a world-class employer.