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From counting dough to kneading it, former banker-turned-baker Luke on the rise of his sourdough empire

Lukes Bakery focuses on slow-fermented Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bread

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What's On

Deborah Hall

05:00, 30 Jul 2026

[Luke Jenneson with a loaf of his 'Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bread', just what you 'knead' in your life]

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Luke Jenneson with a loaf of his 'Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bread', just what you 'knead' in your life(Image: lukesbakery.co.uk)

Luke Jenneson is a breadwinner in more ways than one. While he is keeping his family through his sourdough bakery enterprise, he is also claiming gongs at industry awards that recognise the skills needed in making proper bread.

For Luke, it is all in a days (or nights) work and the sometimes unsociable hours that a baker needs to keep have proved to be of benefit to family life. When his first son, Henry was born it meant his wife, Vicki, could catch some sleep while he saw to some of the babys feeds.

Henry is actually two tomorrow, said the proud dad. Its magic. Hes a little character and he loves to come and see what we are doing in the bakery.

Its nice to see him taking an interest. He calls it Daddys bread and he eats it all the time.

My wife is expecting another little boy in October. Its a really good time for us.

[Luke's Bakery won a bronze medal for its White Sourdough in Britain's Best Loaf 2026]

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Luke's Bakery won a bronze medal for its White Sourdough in Britain's Best Loaf 2026(Image: lukesbakery.co.uk)

I think the last two years have evaporated! The Brough-based bakery that Luke launched three-and-a-half years ago goes from strength to strength.

It recently celebrated national recognition for its slow-fermented handmade sourdough at the 2026 Britains Best Loaf competition, bringing home two medals in its first year of entering silver for its Malted Granary Sourdough and bronze for its White Sourdough, the latter being Lukes Bakerys most popular product. The awards add to a rising batch for the baker, with Great Taste and Deliciously Yorkshire honours and a Local Producer gong at the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards tucked under his belt, or maybe that should be apron ties.

Luke left a career in banking - I worked at Lloyds for ten years - to develop his signature Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bread sourdough recipes. The enterprise now employs 17 people all told, and bread is delivered to farm shops and cafes across East Yorkshire and into North Lincolnshire.

Driffield is the furthest north we deliver and we go to York as well, said Luke. We go as far west as Pontefract, to Farmer Copleys, and down to Uncle Henrys in North Lincolnshire.

We have two vans doing the deliveries. In future Id like to have three vans; then we might get to Bridlington and further afield.

Lukes Bakery has always been based in Brough but has moved to bigger premises - its more than three-times what we had at the other place - since launch, enabling the bakery to increase its capacity (and staff). Quality is still key, he said.

[Luke and Vicki Jenneson]

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Luke and Vicki Jenneson(Image: Luke's Bakery)

We have grown a good customer base and following based on our reputation and were not going to stray away from that. The bakery uses Yorkshire flour - milled at Bradshaws, in Driffield - in its local loaves and a flour and water starter is the basis for it all, being used to begin the fermentation process in new bread dough.

We are out delivering Tuesday to Saturday, but it doesnt mean nothing is happening on Sundays and Mondays, said Luke. "The starter needs to be fed and kept happy - its like a child.

We dont use any additives or preservatives, its naturally fermented bread. We put a best-before on it of the day after it is made but its good to eat for several days - its just at its softest and fluffiest in those first two days.

With the warm weather we have been having, things have moved a bit faster. Sourdough is different to a standard loaf - the wild yeast in it likes it hotter and the wild bacteria in it likes it colder, but we dont want it to be too hot.

You can find out more about Lukes Bakery and where its bread is stocked - there are about 130 outlets all told - on the website and on Facebook and Instagram.

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