A family-run bakery is being celebrated as an example of a small business leading the way on the journey to Net Zero.
Rosa’s Bakery in Neath specialises in Romanian baked goods and delicacies. Founder Estera-Rosa Cundill – known as Rosa – has inherited her baking talent from her Bucharest-born mother, who is called Rosana and has a keen interest in nutrition.
As Product Director, Rosana ensures the baked treats on offer at the bakery are not only delicious but are also low in sugar with ingredients which are often locally sourced, unrefined and organic.
The bakery’s evaporative cooling technique uses just water and forced air, reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian method of hanging a wet towel over an open window. It is a greener alternative to traditional air conditioning and has resulted in reduced energy bills and refrigeration requirements.
The bakery on Neath’s Shufflebotham Lane is organically certified by The Soil Association and relies on over 90% renewable energy.
Compostable packaging is used across the bakery, where Rosa’s younger brothers Reuben and Asaph have also trained alongside Rosa as assistant baker and barista.
The Cundill family encourages the re-use of bags and sells popular re-usable jute bags, which have become popular with customers posting about them across social media.
Rosa said:
“Small businesses should never give up on finding natural solutions. Keep believing in better.
“We want to become more sustainable by sourcing even more of our ingredients locally. We’re excited about supporting our local food chain further and we’ll also be supplying my father’s new delicatessen and organic food hall opening just 100 metres away from the bakery.
“Deciding to launch my own business gives me the freedom to make the most natural and sustainable choices for products and ingredients.”
Rosa was supported in her business journey with a £50,000 Start Up Loan from the British Business Bank when she launched the bakery.
Richard Bearman, Managing Director, Small Business Lending at the British Business Bank said:
“Rosa’s Bakery is a great example of a business that isn’t on the face of it set up with sustainability in mind and just goes to show that all businesses, no matter what sector they operate in, have a role to play in helping the UK reach Net Zero. The steps Rosa and her family have taken to improve the sustainability credentials of their bakery business serves as an inspiration to other small businesses ahead of COP 29.”
Smaller businesses can find a wealth of independent and impartial information to support their transition to net zero via the British Business Bank’s Finance Hub.
The British Business Bank’s 2021 Smaller businesses and the transition to net zero report found that smaller businesses account for around half of UK business greenhouse gas emissions.