Jon started his career in finance in London working as an asset manager. However, in his mid 20s, his passion for adventure took him to live and work in San Sebastian, a small town in northern Spain, famous for its food. After 12 years setting up and running a successful culinary business called Mimo, in 2020 Jon and his family decided to relocate back to Kent where he grew up. Jon spent his weekends and spare time baking bread, often selling it to friends and neighbours. After a mentoring course with baker Adam Pagor, Jon decided to pursue baking as his new career and Gilda bakery was born.
After a year of lone baking at home mastering sourdough, Gilda bakery premises in the village of Bishopsbourne opened its doors in May 2022.
Jon is married with three children. He speaks Spanish and enjoys playing tennis and cycling when he gets the chance.
Jeremy moved to Kent, having lived in London previously, where he has spent most of his working life at his family bakery. He is proudly a 5th generation baker, learning everything he knows from the experienced bakers that have passed down their tried and tested methods.
Jeremy joined the Gilda team in May 2022. He was promoted to Head Baker, thanks to his extraordinary passion for sourdough, hard work and commitment. He never stops learning about the process, care and attention that goes into making the perfect loaf. Jeremy loves his dogs and a sing-song – he plays guitar and lead vocals in a band that regularly gigs!
Will has worked at a number of well regarded restaurants across Kent including The Dog at Wingham, Pork & Co and The Corner House. It was when he joined Cafe Du Soliel as the pizza chef, that he discovered a love for dough. In the years since, particularly during lockdown, he began perfecting his bread-making techniques. From then on, Will knew he wanted to be a baker and make bread.
Will searched for a bakery role, and by coincidence, a position became available at Gilda; he joined the team at the end of 2022. Will loves making a classic sourdough, but most enjoy baking croissants and how they fondly remind him of his childhood. He is also a passionate gym goer and loves keeping fit.
Ben has always had a passion for sourdough, which started in his home kitchen. He decided to follow that love for bread and began work at Wild Bread, where he gained most of his sourdough-making experience, before moving briefly to Grain and Hearth and then onto the Gilda team in February 2023. Ben loves making (and sometimes cuddling) sourdough ciabatta which he can’t get enough of. However, he is also partial to a slice of the chorizo and cheddar sourdough or a cinnamon morning bun for his sugar fix. You’ll find Ben cooking at home or fixing things around the house; he loves a bit of DIY. A fun fact about Ben is that he’s an excellent whistler!
Abi possesses a great passion for cooking, having started her earlier career working in restaurant kitchens. When she started a family, she took a step back from working in the kitchen and stuck to cooking at home, while also working on various other projects / jobs in between. During the pandemic, Abi worked for public health and supported her local community – something that is incredibly important to her. Fast forward to now and she finds herself drawn back to the kitchen and with the Gilda team, baking up bread and pastries!
Lauren has previously worked as a pastry chef at some of Kent’s most prestigious restaurants, The Fordwich Arms (1 Michelin star) and Bridge Arms (1 Michelin star). Her love for pastry came from her experience working at The Salutation in Sandwich, where she worked under the head chef and learnt most of her skills. Lauren joined the Gilda team at the beginning of 2023, bringing a wealth of experience in pastry.
Her favourite things to make are lemon tart or a classic chocolate brownie. However, she is more of a savoury tooth when choosing for herself; her go-to would be a nice piece of freshly baked focaccia layered in Gilda’s homemade, cultured butter.
Every bakery needs a powerhouse and for us its Joe! Always happy, Joe works solidly through the night to help us ensure our bread is hitting the ovens in the early hours.
If you ever see Jo, he’s likely to have just finished a night shift so please give him a thumbs up or pat on the back as he goes home to see his family and take a well earned rest. Thank you Joe!
Gary joined us right at the start of our journey at the bakery coming out of retirement to be our delivery coordinator and driver. We feel very fortunate to have him in our team and is the face of the bakery to our many wholesale customers.
Gary carefully packs and prepares our deliveries in the very early hours of the day, before heading out as the sun rises to our customers in south east Kent.
As demand has grown, he has recently been joined by Martin, who assists Gary with a second delivery vehicle to keep up with the new wholesale customers we have taken onboard in 2023.
Martin is one of our latest recruits to join the team. He is a retired post office worker who is so used to early mornings he arrives before 5am to start preparing orders for the busy day ahead.
Martin has achieved the level two certificate in Food hygiene and safety and we look forward to him becoming an integral part of the Gilda bakery team.
David is a real foodie with a great passion for exploring new cuisines! His experience working at Borough Market has meant he is the perfect candidate for the Gilda Team and running our brand-new stall in Canterbury on Thursdays and Fridays. Between trying out new foodie hubs and working, he is studying an MA in Radio journalism, which he hopes will lead to a more permanent role in the future. You’ll always find David smiling. If you’re ever passing by, stop by and say hello!
Alice recently joined the front-of-house Gilda team, graduating from university last year. She is a social butterfly and has a wealth of experience working in hospitality roles / front-of-house roles while she was studying. Her passion lies with illustration, and she is an incredibly talented artist, so you’ll find her drawing in her spare time. Alice may even work on some exciting things for the bakery in the near future. She’s already developed a love for Gilda cookies and reckons they are the best she has ever had!
Immie has always loved socialising and has always had jobs involving customer interaction! She switched her late nights as a hostess in a bar to join the early morning Gilda team. She studies fine arts at university, but her real passion is music. She writes her own music and is waiting to release her first single in June, which will be available on Spotify for those interested. Taylor Swift has been a significant influence on her work! Immie’s a savoury girl; she loves a bacon and cheese turnover or a sausage roll.
David is a real foodie with a great passion for exploring new cuisines! His experience working at Borough Market has meant he is the perfect candidate for the Gilda Team and running our brand-new stall in Canterbury on Thursdays and Fridays. Between trying out new foodie hubs and working, he is studying an MA in Radio journalism, which he hopes will lead to a more permanent role in the future. You’ll always find David smiling. If you’re ever passing by, stop by and say hello!
Alice recently joined the front-of-house Gilda team, graduating from university last year. She is a social butterfly and has a wealth of experience working in hospitality roles / front-of-house roles while she was studying. Her passion lies with illustration, and she is an incredibly talented artist, so you’ll find her drawing in her spare time. Alice may even work on some exciting things for the bakery in the near future. She’s already developed a love for Gilda cookies and reckons they are the best she has ever had!
Immie has always loved socialising and has always had jobs involving customer interaction! She switched her late nights as a hostess in a bar to join the early morning Gilda team. She studies fine arts at university, but her real passion is music. She writes her own music and is waiting to release her first single in June, which will be available on Spotify for those interested. Taylor Swift has been a significant influence on her work! Immie’s a savoury girl; she loves a bacon and cheese turnover or a sausage roll.
