Luminary Bakery works with women who have been in the prison system, who have experienced domestic violence, homelessness, sexual exploitation or crime. In this week's episode, Rachel, the head baker and trainer, and Essy, the café manager, tell us about their training academy that takes the women on ‘a journey to employment’. Over the course of 6 months, the women train as bakers and learn valuable transferable soft skills and gain confidence in a safe female-only environment. Graduates of the academy are guided into employment or offered traineeships to continue at Luminary.

Starting as a wholesale bakery in 2014, the team behind Luminary also opened a café a few years later. Essy explains the value of having an open kitchen: the women can see the customers that buy and appreciate what they have created. Is there anything more satisfying then taking a tray of something freshly baked out of the oven? Or kneading away your frustrations on a big lump of dough?! Baking can be something very therapeutic, offering gratification.

Tune in to find out why baking is a particularly potent way to guide people into employment and to hear how some Luminary-grads have successfully opened their own businesses!

Thank you to Essy, Rachel and Kaila.

Hungry for more?!

Find out more on the Luminary Bakery website / instagram.

Follow our instagram / Our website.

Music

Amy Hill - website / instagram / bandcamp

Corey Leiter - website / instagram / spotify