Go inside the bakery that’s using bread-making to help people recover from mental health issues

Go inside the bakery that’s using bread-making to help people recover from mental health issues

It’s the warmth that hits you first.

What it feels like... to have two strokes

Not just the heat from the ovens, or the room temperature needed to make the dough rise, but the people – greeting every customer that walks in with a cheery hello and a (usually correct) guess at the loaf or pastry they fancy.

As one regular asks for a loaf of olive and herb, she looks down, notices the tahini and honey buns lining the counter, and decides she’ll treat herself. To that and a slice of banana bread, thanks.

After a chat about the rain and her hair appointment (always the way, right?), she’s off, and the trainees get back to kneading their dough.




This is the Better Health Bakery.

As part of the Centre for Better Health, it’s a bakery that’s using the simple act of making bread to help those recovering from mental health issues.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

All the trainees you see behind the counter are there on 12-week placements as part of their recovery.

You can’t tell the trainees apart from the full-time bakers – apart from lead baker Damon Boyle, who instructs the trainees on the steps – and that’s kind of the point. Mental illness can happen to anyone.

‘We give work placements to people who are struggling with mental health problems or recovering from mental health problems,’ Damon tells metro.co.uk.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘There’s been some studies about the value of working with food and being creative – not just art, but making things.’

It’s not just about the calming effects of kneading bread and watching it rise.

The programme is designed to equip people with the soft skills they may have lost as a result of mental health issues – social skills, confidence, getting back into the workplace.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

There’s a lot of fear about heading back to work after you’ve struggled, or getting into work for the first time. Forms and interviews are scary. The idea of judgement and a lack of understanding is terrifying. There’s always the concern that workplaces won’t be accomodating.

The bakery’s about making that a little easier.

It’s a place where mistakes are okay, where people can take breaks if they need to, and where people can chat freely about what’s bothering them.

‘It’s refreshing to be in an environment where you’re not unique in sharing your mental health journey,’ trainee baker Naomi Adams tells us.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

She used to work as a clinical psychologist, but says it’s a completely different experience coming at mental health from the other side of the table.

Following a head injury, Naomi was left with various after-effects, altering her concentration and energy. She’s also developed anxiety, too, which made her wary of going straight back to a regular workplace.

Living with her sister in Southampton, Naomi wasn’t getting any better. She moved back to London and ended up in the crisis centre.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

As she started to recover through what she refers to as the ‘acute phase’, Naomi began to look for something to do in the area. She’d heard about the bakery through her previous work, and decided to get on to the programme.



‘I came here because I wanted a routine,’ she explains. ‘I wanted a reason to get up in the morning.’

For Naomi, it’s the level of understanding that’s part of the bakery that’s helped her get better.

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‘Doing something you enjoy in a friendly place where people understand that you might not always be on top form,’ she says.

‘For me, the anxiety’s become a lot better. It’s still sometimes an issue.

‘I still have issues from the head injury, and it’s a bit unpredictable in terms of what I can do.

‘In a more formal volunteering or workplace role, you need to be consisitent and reliable. This gives you the flexibility. If I need to take a break, I can take a break.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘Having that flexibility has been hugely helpful. I haven’t missed a single day.

‘It’s been great for confidence, for being social, for realising that there are workplaces that can be like this. It’s helped me have a think about what I want to do next. Maybe the love of baking will spark a career.’

While some of the trainees who join the bakery have had experience baking, many have never even considered making a fresh loaf of bread.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

It’s the sense of achievement that comes from creating something by hand that’s so helpful – from the first time a loaf the trainees have made gets sold, to the end of the programme, when they’re confident in working alone and creating one of the bakes on the menu.


‘The whole process, the trainees get to see,’ says Damon. ‘They get to see the end result.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘We encourage them to take more control throughout the project.

‘When they come in, they have people looking after them. They’re taught how to bake, how to scale.

‘By the end, we want everyone to be able to work alone and make one of the breads.

‘They’ve really achieved. They’ve stood on their own two feet, made something without mistakes, and can feel confident about it.’

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

When you’ve been out of work and struggling to do things other people find simple, that feeling is huge.

And the achievement isn’t superficial, or just done to make the trainees feel a little boost. As commercial lead Sarah Lo tells us, the Better Health Bakery is a business, not a charity – one that needs the trainee bakers’ contributions to keep up production and meet targets.

It’s a balance that may seem strange to many: A business that focuses on making money and being self-sufficient, while also putting the mental health of the trainees above anything else.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

They’re able to do that because of the way the bakery is set up. They’re open about what they do (although they don’t shout enough about it, we reckon), and have customers who are supportive of what the bakery’s trying to achieve.

‘When you go into any other bakery, the environment is really different to what it’s like here,’ says Sarah.


‘We try to provide an environment that’s quite relaxed, and that allows mistakes to happen. There’s no pressure that you’re going to get repercussions if you make a mistake.

‘We have some great customers who are really supportive of the project and are understanding if things go wrong. They allow us time to fix things.’

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

But things tend to run pretty smoothly.

The breads the trainees are tasked with have been chosen to be the perfect amount of challenging. Not so hard bakers will become disheartened if they don’t manage it, but just interesting enough to make the bakers feel accomplished when they master each step.

Each loaf has a sourdough base, some rye, others packed with herbs and seasoning.

The smell is incredible.

‘I didn’t expect to love baking,’ Naomi tells us. ‘Bewitched is probably not too strong a word.

‘It’s a sensory experience. You’re getting your hands in there.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘There’s something about the physical process that takes you away from what’s going on in your head. It’s such a healing, meditative process.

‘It’s good for the upper body strength, too.’

Each day begins with the trainees arriving at the bakery, setting up the space, chatting through the day, and making the dough.

They’re split into teams to make the different types of bread, and all work around a table where they can talk, ask for help, and toss each other dough.

There’s also dancing. The playlist is glorious.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

It’s an experience that goes well beyond making bread in your kitchen – it’s about giving people a place where they can feel heard and understood.

‘Mental health is very isolating,’ says Damon. ‘The main job for us is just to break down this isolation.’

Ashwin Matthews, the director of the Centre for Better Health, believes that there’s something inherently social about breadmaking. It’s a way to break down the silence and make people comfortable while they work through whatever battles they’re dealing with.

‘Baking is social,’ Ashwin explains. ‘People stand around the table, they eat the bread.

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘Individuals can become more confident, start engaging a lot more, they can get a sense of purpose. Or they can have an experience of something that is supportive, stimulating, and satisfying.’

Ten weeks in, Naomi is nearing the end of her placement. She’s not looking forward to leaving, but she feels ready for whatever’s next.

‘I imagine for a lot of people, it’s about reducing the stigma,’ says Naomi. ‘Making it okay to say “actually, I’m not okay, I’m having a bad day, please treat me gently.”

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/metro.co.uk)

‘For me, it’s been powerful to know I can make a commitment to something. My confidence has grown.

‘It’s about knowing there’s a day in the week where you’re going to have fun and be around good people.

‘It’s recognising that there are things that you can still get excited about. It’s getting that motivation back, that enjoyment of life and all it has to offer.’

The Better Health Bakery is keen to function as a business, not a charity, so if you’re keen to support what they’re doing, the best way to do so is by heading to the bakery, buying some treats (they’re truly delicious), having lunch in the cafe, and spreading the word about the good the bakery does.

The Better Health Bakery is located at 13 Stean Street, London, E8 4ED, and is open Tuesday to Saturday.

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