One Year of Basement Bakehouse – A Community Picnic to Say Thanks

Last weekend we celebrated a whole year of Basement Bakehouse. Somehow it's been 12 months since we nervously opened the basement door and handed over our first cinnamon bun.

To mark the occasion, we hosted a birthday picnic on Saturday 2nd August in Windmill Gardens, the green heart of our community and the perfect place for a low-key summer get-together. We brought the birthday cake (of course) and served fresh filter coffee from our new partner, Origin Coffee (more on that soon). The Buzz Garden was also open thanks to the Windmill Hill Association, a beautiful little haven hidden in the old tennis courts, complete with a wildlife pond, pollinator planting, and some very relaxed bees.

We weren’t sure how many people would come. We thought maybe a few regulars would drop by. But you arrived with picnic blankets, kids, dogs, flasks of tea, and party spirit, and completely overwhelmed us (in the best way). It felt like the whole hill turned out. Children played together on the old bowling green, a space in the park that’s been unused for years, and it was genuinely lovely to see it full of life again. People spread out on blankets, swapped cake, passed around snacks, and caught up in the sunshine. It was exactly the kind of gathering we’d hoped for, informal, joyful, and full of familiar faces.

We also managed to raise £100 for our local foodbank through a little raffle, which felt like the icing on the cake (sorry, no more cake jokes after this).

Looking back on the past year, one of the best parts has been slowly getting to know so many of you. We've seen umbrellas shared in the rain, dogs expertly held by strangers in the queue, and so many little conversations sparked over bread and cookies. The Saturday morning queue has become its own community, and we feel really lucky to be part of it.

So thank you. For coming to the picnic, for shopping local, for bringing friends, for supporting us in person and online, and for showing up week after week. We’re just getting started and we’re glad you’re with us.

Liam and Andrea

Basement Bakehouse