In a small corner of South London, inside a modest bakery once at the brink of collapse, a father and his son decided they were not ready to close the shutters for good. Today, Flake Bake, a Jamaican patty brand once unknown beyond its postcode, stands as one of the UK’s fastest-growing food businesses, with projected revenues of £3 million in 2025 and shelves in over 1,000 Aldi stores across the country carrying its legacy.
This is not a story of overnight success. It’s a deliberate, hands-on reinvention led by Mike Williams, the family patriarch with an unwavering belief in the cultural value of Caribbean food, and his son, Paul, who brought strategic thinking and commercial grit to the family table. Together, they reimagined what a Jamaican patty brand could be, not just in taste, but in scale, branding, and vision.
The early days were tough. The original Flake Bake bakery had been struggling with declining footfall and outdated operations. The elder Williams, who had run the bakery for years, knew the recipes were solid but the business model had stalled. When Paul stepped in, he didn’t suggest shutting it down or starting something new. He looked at the patties, golden, flaky, perfectly seasoned and said, “This is the product.”
What followed was a radical transformation rooted in preserving flavour while expanding reach. They refined the production process, developed packaging that resonated with both Caribbean and British audiences, and began pitching to major retailers. Aldi saw the potential early and backed the brand, leading to a rapid scale-up that has turned Flake Bake from a community staple into a national contender.
What makes their growth even more notable is the authenticity they’ve preserved. The patties remain true to their heritage, filled with bold jerk chicken, spicy beef, and vegetarian options rich in Caribbean seasoning, yet designed to sit comfortably beside any mainstream British convenience food product. This balance of culture and commercial appeal has made Flake Bake stand out in a crowded market.
For many Black-owned food businesses, the path to supermarket shelves is steep. Mike and Paul’s journey serves as proof that with vision, persistence, and unshakable faith in your product, the leap from local to national is possible. They’ve done more than keep a family bakery alive, they’ve expanded the definition of what success in the food industry can look like for Caribbean entrepreneurs in the UK.
Their next goal? Take Flake Bake global.
