At Studio Bakery, we’ve always believed that great cake starts with care – care for ingredients, for people, and for the places we call home.
Just a few miles from our ovens in Clitheroe, nestled in the heart of the Ribble Valley, you’ll find something special quietly growing. Rows of heritage apple trees. Meadows full of wildflowers. Volunteers muddy-booted and grinning. This is the Studio Orchard Project – our long-term commitment to creating something meaningful, for the land and the community alike.
Because for us, baking with heart also means planting with purpose.
Why an Orchard?
The UK has lost more than 60% of its orchards over the last century. The small-scale, local kind – the ones you might remember from school trips and village lanes – are becoming rare. And with that loss, we’re missing out on more than fruit.
Traditional orchards support wildlife, connect communities, and give future generations a place to learn where food really comes from. So in 2020, we decided to do something about it.
Planting Roots with the Community
This orchard isn’t just ours – it’s shared.
From day one, we’ve welcomed volunteers to help us plant, prune, feed, and care for the trees. Local schoolchildren have joined us to dig holes, hammer in posts, and learn (hands-on) how food grows. It’s more than a field; it’s an open-air classroom.
We’re especially proud to work with Bolton-by-Bowland Primary School, whose pupils help tend their own trees and follow the fruit from blossom to bake. Their excitement is a reminder of why this project matters – not just for the land, but for the people it brings together.
With regular support from Friends of Bowland, the RSPB, and local conservation groups, we’re growing a future that’s flavourful, biodiverse, and proudly local.
Life on the Land
Our project spans over 22 acres of countryside, with something new blooming every season.
A Year in the Orchard
We’ve planted more than 125 heritage fruit trees, including varieties of apple, plum, pear, and cherry. Spring brings blossoms and careful feeding. Summer welcomes bees, butterflies, and sun-dappled meadows. In autumn, there’s pruning, planning, and the early signs of harvest. And even in the deep midwinter, you’ll find volunteers tending trees and strengthening the roots for the year ahead.
Each visit. Each muddy boot. Each small job builds a legacy.
Wildflowers, Wildlife, and Wading Birds
Across 16 acres of meadow, we’ve sowed thousands of wildflower seeds – many sourced from Coronation Meadows and donated by the Millennium Trust. The result? A living, breathing landscape that buzzes, flutters, and sings with life.
In our newest Bamber Meadow, the RSPB has even installed a wader scrape to help protect native birds.
What once was pasture is now a haven of biodiversity, where rare species like Meadow Cranesbill, Lady’s Bedstraw, and Ragged Robin return each season to bloom again.
From Orchard to Oven
At Studio Bakery, we believe food should have a story. This is ours.
What Happens to the Fruit?
In time, as the trees mature, we’ll begin using our homegrown harvest in the bakery – think apple pies, cherry compotes, plum crumbles, and more. Children who help plant the trees might one day eat cake made with the fruit they helped grow.
That’s farm-to-fork, the sweet way.
Supplying Local and Reducing Food Miles
With 95% of the UK’s fruit currently imported, we’re proud to play a small part in changing that. Growing our own means fewer miles, more traceability, and a deeper connection to the land.
And we’re not stopping at cake. We plan to supply local companies and retailers like Booths, who champion British-grown produce.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for the Orchard
In October 2024, we expanded again – taking on a lovingly maintained 8-acre meadow at Holden. We’ll continue working with local partners to enhance its biodiversity, plant even more wildflowers, and create safe spaces for birds, bees, and walkers.
Our vision? A network of working orchards and meadows that nourish the land, inspire learning, and fill the future with fruit (and cake).
How to Get Involved
We’re always looking for extra hands. Whether you fancy tree planting, wildflower seeding, or simply want to learn more, you’re welcome.
To volunteer or keep up with orchard news, follow us on social media or drop us a note via our contact us page.
Rooted in Place, Growing for the Future
The Studio Orchard Project isn’t a one-off campaign. It’s a commitment – a long-term, boots-on-the-ground kind of promise. A promise to protect the land that feeds us. To teach children that food doesn’t come from plastic trays. And to make cakes that mean something.
Because baking with love begins with growing it.
