Since starting Jack’s Bread, the bakery has been built around subscriptions.
The original plan was simple: grow slowly, bake consistently, and aim for sustainable targets. Subscriptions make that possible — they give me a clear idea of demand, reduce waste, and let me focus on baking good bread rather than guessing numbers.
Right now, I'm targeting 12 loaves per day, baked twice a week - Tuesday and Friday (with the option to add more bake days as demand grows). I always bake in multiples of 4 or 6, depending on oven use. At the moment there are 19 subscribers, which means that every so often… the maths doesn’t quite line up.
And that means spare loaves.
What’s changing?
From now on, when there are spare loaves, I’ll be making them available to buy individually, without a subscription.
This isn’t a replacement for subscriptions — they’re still the backbone of the bakery — but it’s a new option if you just want an occasional loaf.
How it works
The process is designed to keep things predictable for baking, while making the most of any spare capacity.
Here’s how it will work:
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Two days before each bake day, I’ll freeze new subscriptions.
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That lets me see exactly how many loaves are already spoken for.
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Based on that number (and oven capacity), I’ll know how many spare loaves I can bake.
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I’ll then update the website with the available inventory.
Those spare loaves will:
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Be sold at full price
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Be available to buy until the evening of the bake day
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Sometimes sell out quickly — and sometimes not appear at all
An important note on availability
This is the key thing to understand:
This will never be a reliable supply of bread.
Because subscription demands can change week to week (people skip weeks, or pause subs), the number of spare loaves will be unpredictable. Some weeks there may be several available, other weeks none at all.
If you want bread every week, a subscription is still the best option.
But if you:
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Just want to try Jack’s Bread for the first time
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Fancy an occasional loaf
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Don’t need guaranteed weekly supply
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Don't mind paying a bit more
…this new system might be perfect.
How to find out what’s available
There are a few easy ways to keep track:
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Check the website for available loaves:
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Sunday–Tuesday for Tuesday bakes
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Wednesday–Friday for Friday bakes
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I’ll also post an Instagram/Facebook/WhatsApp story two days before each bake day showing how many spare loaves are available
And as always, if this all sounds a bit complicated…
Just message me 😜
If you’d rather keep it simple, you can always email or WhatsApp me. If there’s a spare loaf available, I’m very happy to allocate one for you.
This is another small step towards growing the bakery in a way that stays sustainable, flexible, and focused on quality. Thanks, as ever, for supporting Jack’s Bread.
And don't forget: If you want a guaranteed loaf each week, a subscription is still — and will always be — the best way to buy my bread.
— Jack