Researchers from The Open University are calling on owners of small bakeries, from sole traders and microbakers, to employers of up to 50 people, to complete a short survey.
The aim of the project, led by Professor Emma Bell of the Business School, is to help create a better picture of the sector, how it has changed over time, and to gain insight into the experience of small bakery owners.
Along with information collected from interviews with bakers, the result of the anonymous survey will help to demonstrate the contribution that small bakeries make to job creation and local economies.
It will also show the challenges bakery owners face; and the support that they need for their businesses to survive and thrive.
The research is being carried out with assistance from the Real Bread Campaign and the Craft Bakers’ Association.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 09:00 to 17:00
Michael Young Building, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BB
This one-day symposium on ‘Doing Academia Differently’ will provide inspiration and support for PhD and early-career academics to approach the complex tensions and dilemmas of contemporary academia in new and creative ways.