Bakers and Baristas

The story of Bakers + Baristas begins not in the UK, but in Australia in 1981. Operating as BB's Coffee & Muffins, its premise was simple: pair freshly baked goods, made on-site daily, with quality barista-made coffee. This model, focused on placing cafes in high-traffic shopping centers, proved successful, and in 1997, the brand expanded to the UK and Ireland. For years, the company grew steadily. The key inflection point came in 2015 when Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital acquired the business. This marked a new chapter of strategic growth. Under new ownership and the leadership of CEO James Fleming, who joined in 2017, the company began to professionalize and expand its footprint. This included acquiring a competitor, Love Coffee, in 2018. A major strategic move occurred after Causeway Capital also rescued the well-known chain Patisserie Valerie from administration in 2019. In 2020, Causeway merged its two bakery assets, bringing Bakers + Baristas and Patisserie Valerie under a single parent company led by Fleming. While the businesses were combined to share resources, they were to maintain their distinct brand identities. Today, Bakers + Baristas continues to operate its chain of cafes, now backed by the resources of a larger group, a significant evolution from its Australian origins.