The success of Great British Bake Off sees a surge in home baking businesses

• New data published by small business insurer Simply Business revealed a 157% rise in home baking policies from 2019 to 2020
• The largest rise was in the South West, which saw a 222% increase in home baking policies taken out
• The number of home baking policies also rose significantly in the Midlands (200%), East Anglia (166%) and South Central England (157%)

With The Great British Bake Off returning to screens tomorrow, small business insurer Simply Business has revealed a surge in the number of home baking businesses across the UK in the last year.

Analysis of new insurance policies taken out between 2019 and 2020 shows home baking businesses are showing no signs of crumbling, with the number consistently rising year-on-year.

While an average of 9.2 million people tuned in to watch each episode of GBBO last year, the UK saw an 157% rise in the number of home baking businesses across the nation, as more Brits are turning their baking passions into a business.

Trade	2019	YoY increase	2020	YoY increase
Home baking policies	1010	37%	2598	157%

The fastest growing region in the last year was the South West, with a 222% increase between 2019 and 2020. The South West was closely followed by the Midlands (200%), East Anglia (166%), and South Central England (157%). Yet even the capital as the slowest-growing region, saw the number of home baking businesses almost double.

Alan Thomas, CEO at Simply Business, commented: “The Great British Bake Off is a mainstay of UK television and has already inspired thousands of bakers across the nation to rise up and start their own independent business. In every region we’re seeing a year-on-year increase in the number of home baking businesses who are turning their passion into a business. In fact, it has been the fastest-growing trade throughout the pandemic, building on a 157% rise between 2019 and 2020.

“Small businesses are vital to the recovery of the UK economy, so the fact that so many aspiring cake makers are making the leap is extremely encouraging. Business insurance is a must for businesses who want to protect themselves and their treasured customers. For all the new businesses out there, we want you to know that Simply Business has your back.”

-Ends-

Notes to editors:
Data extracted September 2021 of Simply Business home baking policies from 2018-2020.

Home Baking	2019	2019	2020	2020
Region	Policies	YoY increase	Policies	YoY increase
South West England	79	36%	254	222%
The Midlands	120	22%	360	200%
East Anglia	134	33%	357	166%
South Central England	90	23%	231	157%
North West England	142	31%	363	156%
North East England	158	88%	378	139%
South East England	84	9%	198	136%
Wales	56	81%	127	127%
Scotland	79	76%	179	127%
London	55	8%	112	104%
Northern Ireland	10	-9%	36	260%
Islands	3	200%	6	100%

For further information, please contact:

Frank PR
[email protected]

About Simply Business

Simply Business is one of the UK’s biggest business insurance providers, specialising in public liability insurance for SMEs and insuring over 900,000 small businesses and landlords across Britain.

Launched in 2005, Simply Business provides an online brokerage service, delivering policies tailored to individual business requirements. Using the power of tech and data to create the best possible customer experiences, Simply Business employs over 800 people across offices in London, Northampton, and Boston in the US.

Owing to its internal underwriting capability, Simply Business can cover over 1,000 trade types – ranging from plumbers to accountants to dog walkers. An accredited B Corp for their positive social impact, Simply Business has also been voted the Sunday Times Best Company To Work For twice in a row.