Community champion

Rachel Stonehouse, Luminary Bakery, London n16

Founded by Alice Williams, Luminary Bakery is a social enterprise bakery based in east London which provides opportunities for disadvantaged women to learn new skills to find employment in the food industry. Head baker and trainer Rachel Stonehouse started working for Luminary five years ago. She was only 18 when she gave up a place at university to do an unpaid internship at the bakery, raising enough money from friends to live in London for a year to work in the bakery for free. It was Rachel’s passion for social justice, particularly for women in poverty, combined with a love of baking that inspired her to get involved with Luminary, which has made a huge difference to the women who have graduated. Luminary runs six-month employability training schemes for women who have experienced an array of different issues, often homelessness, domestic violence, working in the sex trade or prison. Many of the women arrive with low skills and confidence but they are happy to find a safe and supportive environment. Luminary places emphasis on being a supportive and caring community, breaking down barriers and simultaneously building each other up. The courses teach a range of baking techniques and transferable skills. Some of the women have never baked before, so they start with basic skills such as making brownies and cookies, and then move on to layer cakes, bread, pastry and desserts. By the end, they are making advanced pastries such as éclairs. At the end of the six months there is a graduation ceremony for the women and their friends and family, and they get the Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification. Each graduate is assigned a Progression Support Worker and a mentor to help them with the next stage of their journey into work, and also to help them become independent. Sixty-six women have already graduated – some of them have gone on to work in well-known restaurants and bakeries, and some have set up businesses of their own. Luminary has just opened a second site in Camden, so there will be twice the number of graduates next year, as well as a cookbook, proceeds from which will go back into the business. As well as serving a range of delicious cakes in their bakery café, this is a business that has made a huge social impact on the lives of the women as well as the community at large. Rachel says: “In cohesion with the training, holistic support and opportunities we provide, Luminary gives some of London’s most disadvantaged women a community to be a part of. One woman, six weeks into the course, said that we were like her family.” luminarybakery.com

Head judge Laura Rowe says: What stood out most about Rachel was her commitment to others, above herself, from such a young age. This is a woman in food that is feeding bodies and souls with her delicious bakes. »