E5 BAKEHOUSE

The Hackney bakery that’s growing so fast, it can’t bake enough bread

The simplest pleasures in life can often be the most rewarding. Just ask Ben MacKinnon, the 32-year-old boss of E5 Bakehouse, a large organic bakery inside a converted railway arch next to London Fields in the heart of east London. Although his small business is just 16 months old, he receives numerous emails from people asking for work. Not because they’re jobless, but because they’re attracted by the idea of baking as a romantic escape from the rat race. “I think a lot of people are chronically bored spending too much time sitting in front of a computer not doing what they want to do,” he says, kneading a bowl of sourdough that will later become loaves of Hackney Wild, E5’s signature sourdough. “Doing something with your hands can be therapeutic, and you get instant gratification. Plus there’s always demand for good bread.” 

And he should know: since May last year, Ben’s business has grown tenfold and shows no sign of slowing. He and his 15 staff bake over 250 loaves a day in a wood-fired oven six days a week, but always run out. That’s the problem when your product is so good: everybody wants it, and E5 delivers daily to many restaurants, delicatessens and cafés in Hackney; there’s even a waiting list. They also sell other bread such as spelt loaves, walnut, multiseed and ciabatta in their in-house café (well, a few table and chairs; lounging isn’t encouraged – the focus at E5 is on the bread). 

Ben caught the baking bug while in Morocco two years ago – “I walked into this beautiful bakery in Fez and saw their massive wood fire; it felt cosy” – and, encouraged by friends and local shops, decided to make a go of it himself. He’s as surprised as anyone by E5’s rapid expansion, and admits to having no kind of business plan. He’s learning as he goes along. “At the start we were baking at night time for the next day because that seemed to be how we could do it. We’d break out the beers, light a fire and try to bake bread every night. It was ridiculous,” he says, before adding, “Obviously we’re getting a bit more professional now.”