Teesside University colleagues support beloved bakery

Spare pennies from Teesside University colleagues will help an independent bakery based in the heart of Guisborough and Middlesbrough.

Colleagues from across Teesside University have been donating the leftover pennies from their salaries to their workplace giving scheme, which was established to support charities and community interest companies which are making a difference.

In this round of funding from Be the Change, £2,100 was distributed between Yarm Wellness, 700 Club, Young at Heart, Senses Wellbeing and Brickyard Bakery, which received £500 in recognition of its outstanding commitment to supporting local people.

Since opening a decade ago to share its tasty goods with locals, the bakery has been on a mission to give back to the community. Offering thousands of free, nutritious breakfasts to schoolchildren sitting SATs exams and opening up a warm room for those who could not afford to heat their homes over winter are just some of the initiatives delivered by the bakery.

Brickyard Academy also offers family cookery classes as well as prestigious, paid internships for school-leavers to boost culinary skills and confidence, improve access to quality meals and bring fun back to the kitchen.

Alongside this, the team subsidises the cost of its breads, cakes and pastries. Despite the surge in expenses, the bakery has not raised the shop prices in over seven years to help combat food insecurity and poverty amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Owner Ed Hamilton-Trewhitt, from Redcar, said Teesside University’s generous contribution was greatly appreciated and will support their work moving forward.

“If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. So, when I got the email telling me we had received a £500 donation from Teesside University, I didn’t believe it,” explained Ed.

“Times are tough, and this money honestly makes a massive difference to us and the people we work with. It will be used to support the subsidising in the shop, as well as contributing to the cookery courses we’ll be running.

“All of us at Brickyard Bakery and Academy would like to say a big thank you.”

Lauren Heslop, Communications Assistant (Content Production), Communications and Development, who nominated Brickyard Bakery for the grant, said: “Our workplace giving scheme shows that a little can go a long way; spare pennies have amounted to something huge in both amount and impact.

“Teesside University shares the same values as Brickyard Bakery and is committed to serving the local community.

“The generosity, kindness and passion of the team deserves to be recognised, and we are delighted to play a part in supporting their ongoing efforts.”

Lauren added: “I am also glad to see a fellow Teesside University graduate being supported by the institution in this way.”

Artisan baker Ed began working life as a metalworker before discovering his passion for gastronomy at Kirby College.

“The first time I walked into a training kitchen, it felt straight away like I was going home. It sounds like something from a hackneyed movie script, but something clicked, and I knew it was where I belonged.”

Thanks to his talent and enthusiasm, the 57-year-old has competed at the Culinary Olympics; prepared dishes for royalty and celebrities; worked in five-star hotels and casinos in the capital; and travelled the world before returning to his home in the North East.

Having dyslexia and leaving school with one O-level qualification encouraged Ed to challenge himself academically later in life.

After taking up a catering lecturer position at Hull College, he returned to education and completed the BSc (Hons) Sociology and Criminology at Teesside University, graduating with a first-class degree before pursuing his postgraduate studies.

Ed said: “At school, I tried so hard but felt like I was a square peg in a round hole. Knowing what that feels like spurred me on at university. I wanted to prove myself.

“I had the best time of my life studying at Teesside. It piqued my interest in social enterprises and the affordability of food. The rest is history.”

---