About us
Nourish and Grow is an award-winning Community Interest Company (also known as a social enterprise) in southwest London. We use the income from our microbakery to support our work supplying fresh food to our local foodbank and running community gardening projects.
Micro bakery
We have been making a range of artisanal bread, as well as preserves, since 2023. All our loaves are made by hand, with no preservatives. Our small-batch preserves, such as jams and chutney, are made using surplus from our growing spaces or produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.
From early 2025, we will be baking regularly (roughly twice a month) for our local community around White Hart Lane in Barnes. We take orders in advance, so your bread is baked just for you. Current collection points include the community centre at St Michael and All Angels church on the corner of Cross St and Charles St. Upcoming bake dates are below.
Ordering is simple:
Sign up to our mailing list or follow us on social media. We won’t share your details with anyone and we don’t send more than 1-2 emails a month.
A few days before we next bake, we’ll send you an email to let you know. This will include information about what’s available that week and where/ when you can collect. We also post details on our Instagram account.
Place your order by replying to our email.
We accept card payments when you collect your bread.
We regularly supply fresh bread to the Barnes Foodbank and you can sponsor an additional loaf for a foodbank client as part of your order.
An example of the loaves we usually offer is below (for information only - details may vary).
Growing spaces
Your bread orders support our community gardening projects. In this work, we bring people together to grow organic food; teach others how to grow; and share what we produce. During the growing season, we make regular donations of fresh veg to the foodbank and help other growers across Barnes get their surplus crops there too.
We also support groups, such as schools and nurseries, to set up and maintain their own growing spaces. We garden with the twin aims of encouraging natural biodiversity and creating places of sanctuary and hospitality for the local community and wildlife.
In 2024, our community gardening work at Holy Trinity Barnes was shortlisted as one of three finalists in the national Church Times Green Church Awards 2024 ‘community and congregations’ category. We also received the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) It's Your Neighbourhood Award ‘Level 4 - Thriving,’ part of the prestigious RHS Britain in Bloom Campaign.
Our founder
Our founder, Helen, has lived in and around Barnes since 2003. She worked as a doctor for over 15 years, before trading her stethoscope for an apron and wellies. Trained as a consultant in public health medicine, Helen is passionate about reducing health inequalities and supporting people to live healthier and more active lives.
Helen has baked her own bread since she was a student. She is proud to be a Bread Angel and part of a nationwide network of microbakers who provide good bread for their local communities. Helen trained as a Bread Angel with Sara Ward at Hen Corner in Brentford. She is also a supporter of the Real Bread Campaign.
Despite living in London, Helen’s heart lies in the French countryside. Her approach to food has been heavily influenced by shopping in France, buying fresh, seasonal produce, made or grown locally, often directly from the producer.
Helen is a strong advocate of the health and wellbeing benefits of connecting with nature outdoors. She is a keen outdoor swimmer and grows fruit, vegetables and flowers on her allotment.
Helen is a member of the Community of Hopeweavers and the work of Nourish and Grow is informed by her Christian faith, specifically the biblical principle of ‘love your neighbour.’ Our work is open to people of all faiths and people of none, however the value of love your neighbour remains a core part of our ethos.
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