The Cavan Bakery

The Cavan Bakery is a family run bakery based in Kingston-Upon-Thames where artisan breads and pastries are made daily for their 14 stores around London and Surrey.

Passionate about baking and committed to bringing their authentic and delicious products to their customers every day, the business has gone from strength to strength and Jeff the founder and owner of the Cavan Bakery realised expansion was necessary in order to continue the growth they were enjoying.

As Jeff began to think about the build and fit-out of this new factory he soon became aware of the risks the project could produce if he chose to manage it himself. With the business at a critical stage of growth Jeff was very hands-on in the business, and dreaded the prospect of the project becoming a major distraction, sucking up all his time and energy and ultimately damaging the business. In addition, there was the very real risk of unforeseen pitfalls causing overrun of the project programme and budget, putting strain on the business.

From the very start the Oakley team had a strong positive working relationship with Jeff and his team, giving him confidence to let us take the project off his hands and deliver it without disrupting business operations.

Quality is an important aspect for Jeff and testament to this is seen through The Cavan Bakery, from the premium artisan sourdough loaves to the quality look and feel of the brand. Jeff understood that his new factory was an extension of the brand, so it was important to him that the finished space was completed to the highest standard; a facility they could be proud of for years to come. This was another reason for partnering with Oakley, as being a specialist food industry fit-out partner our standard of workmanship and attention to detail was clear to see.

Our turnkey approach to the project started right from initial concept designs, working collaboratively with Jeff and the Cavan management team to design the layout with the most efficient production flow. Getting this phase right was crucial to the success of the project and laid the foundations for detailed design and build phases. We then moved into the detailed design phase where the initial layout design was worked into full construction drawings and scope of works, ensuring that the build phase would run as smoothly as possible and any potential design flaws were foreseen and eliminated. Once the detailed design package was complete and agreed it was time to start the full fit-out. This included:

Ground floor

• Goods in and dry ingredients store
• Primary production zone
• Mixing room
• Fridge
• Freezer
• Frying room
• Temperature controlled retarder room
• Prover and oven zone
• Packing and goods out

First floor mezzanine

• Male and female changing rooms
• Toilets, canteen and welfare facilities
• Cake and patisserie production and decoration room
• Mezzanine pallet lift

In summary this project was a hugely transformational step change for The Cavan Bakery, modernising their production capabilities and underpinning the longevity of the company for years to come.

The turnkey approach meant that the owners of Cavan Bakery were given peace of mind during what could have been a very disruptive period for the company, and were able to continue focusing on day-to-day operations to help grow the business further.

We thoroughly enjoyed delivering this project and working with Jeff and his team. We will be following Cavan Bakery’s growth over the next few years and look forward to supporting them again in the future!

Project Value: £800k 

Project Timescale: 6 months