Simply Business homepage
  • Business insurance

    • Business Insurance FAQs

    Business insurance covers

  • Support
  • Claims
  • Sign In
Call Us0333 0146 683
Chat With UsChat support 24/7
Press Releases

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

2-minute read

Simply Business

Simply Business

21 September 2021

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

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.

Trade2019YoY increase2020YoY increase
Home baking policies101037%2598157%

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 Baking2019201920202020
RegionPoliciesYoY increasePoliciesYoY increase
South West England7936%254222%
The Midlands12022%360200%
East Anglia13433%357166%
South Central England9023%231157%
North West England14231%363156%
North East England15888%378139%
South East England849%198136%
Wales5681%127127%
Scotland7976%179127%
London558%112104%
Northern Ireland10-9%36260%
Islands3200%6100%

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.

We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always take professional advice. Read our full disclaimer

Find this article useful? Spread the word.

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn

Keep up to date with Simply Business. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Insurance

Public liability insuranceBusiness insuranceProfessional indemnity insuranceEmployers’ liability insuranceLandlord insuranceTradesman insuranceSelf-employed insuranceRestaurant insuranceVan insuranceInsurers

Address

6th Floor99 Gresham StreetLondonEC2V 7NG

Northampton 900900 Pavilion DriveNorthamptonNN4 7RG

© Copyright 2024 Simply Business. All Rights Reserved. Simply Business is a trading name of Xbridge Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Registration No: 313348). Xbridge Limited (No: 3967717) has its registered office at 6th Floor, 99 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NG.