From a kitchen table and a £1,600 Prince’s Trust loan to supplying cafés across Bath and surrounding areas, Wild Flour Cake Company has grown significantly since it started in 2015.
The Bath-based bakery was named the winner of Bath Dragons 2026, impressing the judges with its approach, growth plans and commitment to producing exceptional cakes for independent cafes.
From wedding cakes to cafe cake
Founder, Jessica Langford-Snape started the business after joining The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Scheme in Bristol, using their startup loan to create a website and buy a van. The business initially focused on wedding cakes, however, with ‘café culture’ growing, Jess realised there was a bigger opportunity:
‘The coffee shop market was growing and the coffee was great, but there was an opportunity to offer better-quality cakes that matched the coffee's standard. They were often mass-produced and lacked the flavour, craftsmanship and dietary options customers increasingly sought. I took a basket of cakes round to the local cafes in Bath including Society Cafe, Green Bird and Waterstones. Thankfully they loved the cakes and took a chance on me.”
The early days required energy and determination. Jessica rented kitchens in sports centres around Bristol, baking and decorating cakes before delivering them in the morning and heading off to her day job. Months later, she secured a small unit on a farm in Timsbury, where the business is still based, albeit in a much larger space.
That journey, she says, is what she’s most proud of.
“Taking something that starts in your head, creating jobs and an environment you hope people love to work in, and then having it spoken about in London or even Bermuda requires a lot of grit.”
Scaling up…
Today, Wild Flour occupies a unique position in the market, creating cakes that combine the quality of homemade baking with the consistency and reliability that the cafes and their customer’s demand.
“We sit between your home kitchen and mass production. We don’t want to be Mr Kipling. Life is too short to eat bad cake. We’d like to help businesses across the UK offer cakes that make customers say, ‘That’s the best cake I’ve ever eaten.’”
Facing the Dragons
The decision to enter Bath Dragons came after a recommendation from a friend of Managing Director and part-owner Emma Davies. For the Wild Flour team, it wasn’t simply about winning.
“We recognise that we don’t know all the answers, and having fresh eyes and perspectives on our growth is invaluable.”
Standing in front of the Dragons, with a large audience in front of her, proved to be one of the biggest challenges of the process.
“You feel very vulnerable when you’re up there on stage, but it was absolutely worth the nerves. Some audience members approached me afterwards to share their own stories. It was an incredibly supportive atmosphere. As a small business owner, it’s nice to be reminded that you’re not alone.”
So what made Wild Flour stand out from the competition?
According to Jessica, it came down to ambition and a willingness to back themselves.
The business recently made the bold move into a significantly larger unit on the farm, which shows the teams confidence in future growth.
“I’m very comfortable with risk, but Emma is more cautious. She says I jump off the cliff first and she follows with two parachutes. It seems to work.”
Winning Bath Dragons has provided a huge boost for the entire team.
“It’s a huge vote of confidence. Everyone here works so hard and genuinely cares about the product, their craft and their colleagues. We are a people-based business and the company wouldn't be where it is today without the team's hard work, skill and dedication. Wild Flour is made up of the most amazing bakers, delivery drivers and office staff. We are a small but mighty team and this win is for them.”
The real work starts now
The growth plan for the business is exciting and ambitious: “The challenge is turning the opportunities and conversations into meaningful action. We’ve made a plan outlining our goals for the year and there’s a little bit of pressure now to deliver what we promised.”
In the future, Jess and the team’s ambitions are focussed beyond the South West: making their cakes available across the UK through a courier network, while staying true to the quality and service that helped build the business in the first place.
“We want to offer our cakes to the rest of the UK without losing what makes Wild Flour great, while ensuring our local cafés continue to receive the best cakes and service.”
Thinking of entering?
For businesses considering entering Bath Dragons in the future, Jessica has a simple message:
“When you’re busy, it’s easier to avoid things outside the business. Be brave, be vulnerable, put yourself out there and go for it. The Dragons are not as scary as you think.”
