“When Charles Geary opened the first bakery in 1906 in Ratby, he had one thing on his mind: baking fabulous bread. Baking comes naturally to us, using perfected recipes passed down through the family, and always innovating with new recipes and ideas. For over four generations we’ve mixed, proved and baked a huge variety of different breads, rolls and loaves…and today we are still baking fabulous bread”.

So says Geary’s bakery, situated in Barrow’s Hayhill industrial estate. Not just any old bakery. Geary’s is one of the UK’s largest independent craft bakeries. Its flagship range, Jason’s Sourdough has grown to become Britain’s third biggest bread brand in just six years since launch. It’s now the UK’s leading sourdough brand, with more retailers across the country choosing to stock it. And its registered address is in Barrow! Although Geary’s originated in Ratby, the family business moved to the larger bakery in Barrow in 2009. to keep up with the growing demand for their loaves.

I wanted to find out more about this meteoric rise, so I asked them seven questions. These are their answers:

1. Does Geary’s make other kinds of bread as well as sourdough (plant baking involving yeast and kneading machines to speed up production)?

Yes, Geary’s makes Bloomers and rolls as well as Sourdough. Our brand Jason’s Sourdough is now the UK’s number 1 sourdough brand. Within the Jason’s range, there is white, wholemeal, seeded, plus Olive & Basil and Fruit loaves, and we also bake rolls. Geary’s mission is to make proper bread: made with simple ingredients, without any added preservatives, additives or any unnecessary ingredients – and to make that bread more accessible to more people. We have also broadened our Jason’s range into new segments, introducing Sourdough Crumpets and Take-Home Toasties. Innovating our sourdough into these new spaces has enabled us to meet consumer demand.

2. Does actual baking go on in the Barrow works or does the Barrow works have some other function e.g. a distribution centre?

Yes, baking does take place at our Barrow bakery. The bakery produces some of Jason’s Sourdough Loaf range, as well as Everyday Rolls, supporting production across the business.

3. Does Geary’s have bakeries in other parts of the country?

All our bakeries are based in and around Leicestershire. Alongside our production facility in Barrow, we have two bakery sites in Glenfield. Last year we invested £36 million in a brand new, state-of-the-art bakery in Glenfield, which has allowed us to grow our portfolio, double our production capacity and create a strong number of job opportunities.

4. Why Barrow? Is there any historical connection to Barrow?

Not really. The move was driven by the need to increase capacity and support growing demand for its products, while remaining true to its traditional values.

5. Are all the Geary’s products given a Jason name?

No, not all Geary’s products carry the Jason name. Jason’s Sourdough is our branded range, named after fourth-generation Master Baker Jason Geary. Geary’s also produces own label products, for a number of retailers nationwide. Jason’s Sourdough is Geary’s brand which was launched in 2020, inspired by Jason Geary. Honouring award-winning recipes handed down over decades, it blends traditional methods with a surprisingly modern twist, to create a real sourdough brand with enduring value for future generations.

6. What led to the launch of Jason’s Sourdough in 2020?

Prior to the launch of Jason’s Sourdough, the business primarily produced own label loaves, while also supplying local shops in Leicester with bloomer loaves under the historically-recognised Geary’s Bakeries brand. The business then made a strategic decision to focus on sourdough. Jason set out to create a loaf that was not mass-produced or over-processed like many products in supermarkets, but equally not an expensive, niche product only found in artisan bakeries. Instead, the ambition was to bridge the gap between the two. He aimed to develop a loaf with the qualities of a traditional bakery product – simple ingredients, great taste and an artisan approach – while making it as accessible and widely available as supermarket bread. In essence, a genuinely artisanal-style sourdough that could be bought as easily as a standard, everyday loaf. This marked a shift towards building a branded product, rather than continuing solely with own label production.

7. You only seem to sell Jason’s Sourdough in the Big Five supermarkets. The nearest for Barrow are Tesco in Sileby and Waitrose in Mountsorrel. But none in Barrow itself e.g. none in the Co-Op. Is this true?

Jason’s Sourdough is available nationwide in Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Booths, Asda, Iceland and Ocado. We have recently been listed in Booker wholesalers too, which means you will be able to find loaves in smaller convenience stores like One Stop. We’re not currently available in Co-Op, but we aim to bring our loaves to more retailers across the country. Customers can locate their loaf using the ‘Where To Buy Us’ store locater on the Jason’s Sourdough website (https://www.jasonssourdough.co.uk/ pages/where-to-buy-us).

If you would like to find out more, the Geary’s website has some entertaining Youtube clips including Jason showing Lewis Hamilton how to make sourdough.

I’m just thinking that Barrow House Bees' honey (see article) would go rather well on a slice of Jason’s Sourdough.

Judith Rodgers