Welcome Alice, Lucy and Ashley! Ok,give me some brief context. How was Luminary formed and what are each of your roles within it?

Alice

The idea for Luminary formed when I was working in East London at a café which provided support for women in the area who were experiencing social and economic disadvantage.  Myself and my co-workers realised that we could affect change if we were able to support the women to be financially independent.  So, we started baking courses in a local women’s hostel and this evolved into a small business selling to the local community. It took a few years to come together, but the women were the inspiration and the first Luminary café opened in 2017 in Stoke Newington.

As CEO, my key remit is to ensure that our mission and values are at the heart of our decision-making; making sure everything leads to enhancing the opportunities for the women we serve.

Lucy

I am the Commercial Director at Luminary Bakery, which means looking after the commercial success of all our sources of income, the cafes, the online sales, and the corporate business. So, one day, I am discussing the pricing for a new product with our Executive Head Baker, and the next day I may be meeting with potential corporate partners.

I felt very lucky to ‘inherit’ the beautiful Luminary brand when I joined the business, and am always looking for ways we can continue to develop this even further through all our external communications and customer experience.

Ashley

I see myself as the superglue that holds our infrastructure together!  As Head of Operations, it’s my job to ensure that our processes and systems talk to each other and enable us to maximise all opportunities for sales growth.  For example, during COVID we quickly flexed to focus on our e-Commerce operations which involved upgrading our website and systems, re-designing our packaging, and contracting with a new delivery supplier.  As a result, we survived the pandemic, and the e-Commerce business is thriving.

Luminary Bakery is an amazing combination of helping people and cake! What’s the best thing about your work?

Alice

Everyone who works at Luminary is very clear about the value we deliver.  We are lucky to have our programme training facilities on site so we can see and hear the impact every day.  This clarity of vision is a powerful motivator, and it drives us to do our best work, to make quick decisions and to aim high.

Lucy

I am always impressed by how responsive we are to the (many!) opportunities and challenges that present themselves. We are a small team but get through a huge amount together. I love moments when we are working together to find a solution or make something happen – and think many of our great successes (whether it’s clients we’ve been able to work with, or amazing PR opportunities) have been down to the can-do attitude of the team.

Ashley

The best thing about my work is seeing the operations team become so handy! This ranges from attaching cupboard doors, to fixing broken chairs, configuring ovens, and troubleshooting IT errors.  We only bring in outside help when we need to, most of the jobs can be fixed by the team armed with our large pink toolbox and a huge dose of common sense.

And what is the most challenging thing at the moment?

Alice

It’s always a challenge to balance our ambition with our resource! Luminary has reached a tipping-point. There is increasing awareness of our brand, an appreciation of the quality of our bakes and a genuine desire from customers to purchase with purpose.  We are ambitious but the challenge is to prioritise and spend our time doing the right things at the right time.  None of us like to say no to good ideas but we are a lean team and keeping a work\life balance is important to our sustained success.

As a trio one of you is founder and the other two joined along the way: what tips do you all have for creating a productive, enjoyable working relationship?

All

Being aware of each other and having a culture of continuous feedback throughout the organisation is essential. So, if individuals or teams are working hard or having a challenging time, we support each other.  It’s important to share both positive and constructive feedback as and when it is needed. We find that if misunderstandings are surfaced quickly, they then can be discussed and resolved.  Overall, we are good at celebrating individual and team success, and it helps that we have delicious cakes on hand for those special moments.

If there is any conflict how does it tend to get resolved?

Alice

Resolving conflict is about talking, listening and, of course, being generous.
Everyone who works at Luminary does so because they are passionate about our purpose, to create opportunities for employment for women with social and economic disadvantage.  We are clear about how each of our roles contribute to this overall goal and respect each other’s contribution. We are all responsible for communicating our decisions and if necessary explaining them. The intention behind people’s actions is usually from a good place.

Alice, you set up Luminary, What would be your number one tip to any founders starting out, knowing what you know now?

Starting anything from scratch is exciting but can also be daunting.  My advice is to gain experience before you start and continue to ask for support and input from others.  We have a talented Board who bring experience of bakery, retail, and social enterprise, so I have plenty of on-tap resource if I need a second opinion from outside the business. Also, you need to accept that you will get things wrong from time to time and finally, be good to yourself.

And anything you wish you had done differently from the offset?

 I regret that we didn’t seek more investment at the beginning.  You never know what’s around the corner so it’s best to allow for a bit of contingency in your financial planning.  Once the business is up and running you need to focus on the day-to-day and breaking away to deal with funding can be an unwelcome distraction.  So, my advice is to over estimate what you might need.

Given that the women you work tend to need a lot of very dedicated support and care how do each of you look after your own mental and emotional health?

Alice

Luminary has a collaborative working culture and we encourage everyone to share and ask for advice, particularly if we feel under pressure or are carrying a lot. My role isn’t sustainable unless I look after myself, so getting fresh air, exercising & rest time is important to enable me to give my best at work.

Lucy

For me, I love the energy and pace of being in a small business – but of course there will be certain periods where work is very demanding. To get some balance, I try to measure my time over the course of a week or month (rather than a single day) and make sure I have a good split – so making sure I’m still getting to spend time in nature, at the gym, travelling and spending enough time with my friends and family. And when things get really stressful, spin class is my antidote!

Ashley

I am very clear on having boundaries between life at work and life outside work. I am a full time working mother, so naturally that comes with a lot of juggling. I find a clear division of my time is super important for me to remain balanced. When I am at work, I am just one person in a team and believe in the power of delegation.

What does the future hold for Luminary and yourselves?

Alice

Our ambition is to continue to grow so that we can offer more women the chance to experience our training programme and ultimately to find work, whether at Luminary or elsewhere in the food industry.  Our business model is scalable and replicable so, in the near future, we can start to think about making the Luminary experience available to more women, perhaps in different parts of London or across the UK.

Lucy

As our corporate business continues to flourish, our goal is to sustain long-term relationships with our corporate partners. We’d like to establish a cycle of repeat business so that economies of scale are built into our business model. I am really excited about our future, and I anticipate that we will soon be a household brand and a destination bakery and café.

Ashley

My goal for our operations is that we continue to scale it up as the demand for us grows. I am hoping for more ovens, more bakers and more products. I am always on the look-out for the best systems and equipment to support us. Our future is about staying ahead anticipating issues ahead of time and looking for continuous improvements.

What partnership do you really admire and why?

Alice

Natalie Campbell & Charlotte Harrington, the co-CEOs of Belu Water. Natalie promoted Charlotte from COO to be a co-CEO shortly after joining Belu in 2020. This was a bold statement and made it clear from the outset that they are equal partners in driving the Belu purpose which is “to change the way the world sees water by 2030”. Belu is an award-winning social enterprise and invests 100% of their net profit in WaterAid.

Lucy

I love the partnership of sisters Monica and Gabriela Vinader, founders of the jewellery brand Monica Vinader. Monica is the creative director and Gaby is the Managing Director overseeing the more operational aspects of the business. I saw them speak on a panel together and they had such a deep understanding of how they can both operate at their best from their respective positions of strength. (And I love the MV products too!)

Ashley

Michelle and Barack Obama.  The respect they have for each other from a professional as well as moral perspective is very evident.  They appear to be totally aligned and are each other’s biggest supporters. Egos never get in the way.

Finally, what is your favourite type of bake – Luminary or otherwise?!

Alice

That’s easy, our plant-based almond, chocolate, and cherry celebration cake – it’s like a chocolate bakewell and is absolutely delicious. I chose this for my Wedding Cake, and it went down very well!

Lucy

I love our mini celebration cakes – especially the Victoria Sponge. We have started creating bespoke minis for special occasions, and in June will be selling a Pride mini which has multiple flavours and is topped with a hand-painted rainbow meringue.

Ashley

For me it’s got to be our famous Cinnamon Swirl! These are the most popular café choice in the Camden café; they have sticky caramel bottoms and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.  But watch this space, as our executive head baker is currently developing a first-of-its kind savoury swirl made with serrano ham. Yum!