Refugee women who have fled to Britain after escaping persecution in their home countries have started a new, innovative business with support from London Fields’ e5 Bakehouse and the Refugee Council.

Just Bread is today launching a subscription based bread delivery service in East London. From 1 September 2015, subscribers will be able to pick up their bread box from various collection sites across East London over a period of seven weeks.

The bread will be made by Just Bread trainees: a small group of eight refugee women who are learning bread baking skills through a training course being jointly run by the Refugee Council and e5 Bakehouse.

During the course, the trainees will learn how to become artisan bakers while gaining vital skills to help them access the British job market.

The trainees come from a range of countries, backgrounds and cultures but all were forced to leave their home countries and seek safety in Britain.

Just Bread provides these isolated refugee women in London the chance to meet others, share and learn skills, build their confidence and start to rebuild their lives.

Just Bread aims to do this by providing the women with the professional training, practical support and inspiration to turn bread into a pathway to independence.

Refugee Council Head of Integration Andrew Lawton said:

“The women behind Just Bread will have experienced trauma and loss most ordinary Londoners will struggle to imagine. Through Just Bread subscribers won’t only be signing up to receive tasty treats every week, they’ll also be supporting these vulnerable women to take control of their futures and rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity.”

Previous Just Bread trainees have gone on to secure employment working in Secret Cinema’s vast desert bazaar, where they sell tasty treats to members of the rebel alliance.

How it works: the Just Bread subscription

Subscribers will pay a one off subscription fee of £35 and in return will receive seven weeks of bread from Tuesday 1 September – Tuesday 13 October 2015.

The breads, baked under careful instruction from e5’s master bakers, can be collected from Hackney Downs or Haggerston Food Assembly and e5 Bakehouse on Tuesday evenings between 17:00-19:00.

Each week, subscribers will receive a loaf of bread baked just for them by the refugee women. Orders will include the following e5 Bakehouse favourites:

• Hackney Wild
• Spelt
• 66% Rye
• Wholemeal
• Bagels
• Baguette
• Ciabatta