Bread 41 now B Corp Certified.
Bread 41 is super excited to talk about engaging in the B Corp Initiative. Business can and must play a more important role to help transform how commerce operates. We as a business have always been focused on sustainability but we needed a framework and a model to follow to ensure that the business model we follow is predicated on more than pure shareholder return. B Corp provided us with this framework and genuinely we must continually consider all our stakeholders as we continue to grow our business i.e. employees, suppliers, the community, the planet and yes shareholders too. We started this journey about two years ago as the process to achieve and maintain B Corp certification is rigorous but hugely worthwhile.
The underlying premise of B Corp is that Business should be a force for good, we have made a conscious decision that we must now be a force for good. I would like to see the day where business for good is the norm rather than the exception. B Corp in Ireland is growing and we would encourage other businesses to take part in this programme. To find out more information just google B Corp to find out more. The reality is that through going through this B Corp journey and taking into consideration our impact on society and the environment at large we have had to make difficult decisions however in the main any decision that we have taken to improve our environmental footprint has in reality saved the business considerable amounts of money. As an example by becoming more focused on waste reduction and through implementing our move to zero initiative we have saved thousands in the past year. Examples being Remove of single use coffee cups, considerable bin reduction, bio-degester, removing baking paper etc and many others.
We do know for businesses that trading conditions are difficult but any efforts to reduce waste will save a business money and that is a fact based on our real world experience. We are super grateful to our customers, our suppliers, our community and our employees who have supported us throughout the journey and whom we never take for granted. We are full of optimism about our growth plans over the next few years as we have a plan to open 3-5 more bakeries in the next 3-5 years.
Our Vision & Purpose
We aim to create a movement that reaches into every community throughout the island of Ireland. We “want everyone to get back to eating real bread and to appreciate real hand crafted pastries, amazing seasonal food and to drive exceptional hospitality in a sustainable way. ”
Our Values
- To care for each other
- To care for our customers
- To care for everything we make and be creative
- To care for the community
- To care for our suppliers
- To care about sustainability
Everything we bake, make or sell embodies our passion for artisan methods, organic local products where possible, and delicious food. Our breads are hand-crafted, baked daily in the early hours of the morning using only organic flours. Our bakery is home to a small team of very committed people. With a strong desire to involve our surrounding community and we look forward to working with these vibrant communities. We believe that as we strive to become a sustainable business, we have the potential to make a significant contribution towards our community from a social, economic and environmental perspective and we are super excited about the future. We believe that good business is good for business and that we as a business can thrive in a sustainable way.
Organic from the very beginning
Bread 41 has been baking with organic grains since our first loaf in 2018. We believe that organic food production is the right choice for people from an individuals health perspective while also being the best option for the planet and the suppliers we work with. We are committed to working closer with Irish farmers moving forward to procure more Organic Irish grains.
Our Team
Hiring the right people, training them for excellence, and giving them room to grow is what sets us apart. We take care of our team through competitive compensation and a mindful approach to the challenges that the hospitality business and its employees face daily. We also live by a set of values determined collectively, which are important to us all.
Our Community
Bread 41 as a company also believe in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). At Bread 41, we work to improve lives, inside and outside the confines of our bakery. We believe that by extending our hospitality to our communities, we will strengthen our own culture and business. As part of our CSR we also believe in doing the best for the local community – in terms of engaging with local people as well as doing the best for the environment and job opportunities in inner city Dublin. Bread 41 recognises CSR as a vital part of our activity and is therefore committed to a course of social responsibility for the sustainable development of our business and community. The bakery promotes initiatives which support and encourage staff to achieve a reasonable work/life balance. As a company we strive to keep our family values, to motivate, empower and inspire our people, rewarding honest endeavours.
We are committed to:
- To being a positive contributor to the environment
- To undertaking community initiatives which improve the communities we work in
- To setting and achieving recycling targets
- To improving energy efficiency
- To determining and implementing effective carbon reduction strategies
- To utilising energy efficient equipment and practices
Bread 41 recognises the importance of our environment and strives to reduce wastage and our carbon footprint through a variety of measures. Within the bakery, we have a waste reduction programme which involves recycling all possible office materials . We seek to reduce our carbon footprint and road miles where possible. Furthermore, we are a renewable energy site and we have installed high performance low energy ovens which further reduce energy consumption. Bread 41 and its employees work hard to deliver the best service to the community whilst practicing environmentally friendly procedures. We are setting up a “Love Bread” education programme which works to teach people, schools and children about the nutritional values of Real Bread, its cultural history and ingredients.
Our Suppliers
This is our shoutout to the growers, millers, roasters, juicers, suppliers and importers who keep us stocked up with delicious and sustainable products: McNallys Farm, Co Dublin All Vegetables The Village Dairy, Co Meath Dairy Shipton Mill Flours Pigs on the Green, Co Meath Oak Forest Mills Kilkenny Grains North Wicklow Eggs Rings Family Farm Poultry Ollys Farm Honey Malone Fruit Farm Berries Click here for a link to read our supplier preference policy.
Our Mill
We are super excited to own a “New American Stone Mills”, enabling us to mill onsite and have the freshest and most nutrient rich flour for our loaves. Through using a stone mill, our milling process is an inherently cold process that causes minimal damage to the vitamins and essential oils that are present in the grains. Furthermore, it helps us drive the ‘farm-to-fork’ concept through milling fresh grain onsite into flour to be used onsite in our bakery. We are very excited to bring this innovative concept to a bakery in Dublin. Stoneground flour differs from industrially ground flour in a variety of ways. The grains are milled gently using the stoneground method, being ground slowly between two stones- this goes back to the way grains would have been milled in Ireland for decades. There are three parts that make up a grain – the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Firstly, the bran provides fibre, protein and vitamins that are vital in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Secondly, the germ provides B vitamins and fatty acids that are necessary for healthy brain function and lastly, the endosperm contains starches, carbohydrates, protein, iron and B vitamins. Stoneground milling, which is done in a cool and gentle way, retains the important vitamins and nutrients that are lost on the opposite end of the spectrum where industrially ground floor use high speed rollers. These high speed rollers heat the wheat and in this process the vital elements of brand and germ are lost. In this process, important minerals, fats, fibre and vitamins are also eliminated. Some of the health benefits of eating bread with flour that has been stoneground include lowered cholesterol and blood sugar levels, while the nutritional value of flour that has been stoneground is also high, as digestibility is increased through this process.