This is one of those rare Lockdown success stories…

When covid-19 hit Hannah Catley was working at a restaurant in London called Allegra. The hospitality world, along with everything else, was brought to its knees, so Hannah found herself back in her hometown of Bristol moving back in with her Dad, with the mindset that it was temporary. She thought she’d be back in London before she knew it - how wrong she was!

As the lockdown continued, Hannah would occupy herself by baking every day like her life depended on it. Quickly it became apparent that a purpose had to be found for the endless baked goods coming out of the oven every morning and she started posting a limited menu on local Facebook groups. 

Doing doorstep drop offs throughout the early lockdown days grew rapidly into having 150 return customers in 3 weeks. It was out of control and Hannah’s dad’s kitchen had been completely taken over and turned into a micro-bakery of sorts.

It was clear either it had to come to an end or she had to make a real go of it and find a commercial space. In the most uncertain of times she signed a lease on what was her childhood bakery, but it was in total disarray. Hannah, her dad and her brothers spent the following 4 months doing a full rip out and refit of the shop to get it ready for customers. Fast forward 4 months and Lockdown Loaves opened on Winterbourne high street completely unfinished, no shop front and yet there were queues down the street. 

Two years later, Hannah acquired a second location in Clifton village and so another renovation took place. Catley's was born  a complete rethink of the brand that she had little time to consider the first time around, and a real push to make it as much her own identity as possible. This was shortly followed by the opening of our St Annes store which has now become our headquarters.