The café, located at 49 Farringdon Street, will be overseen by BM’s experienced managers as well as five newly recruited hospitality professionals, all of whom will support Luminary’s programme helping to enhance future employability with BM’s in-house barista skills training.
Open to the public the café serves BM’s Fairtrade range of Perkee coffee sourced from the Soppexcca cooperative in Nicaragua, which supports local community education, infrastructure and sustainability initiatives.
The food on offer includes a range of Luminary cakes and cookies, alongside BM’s signature muffins, toasties, granola, croissants, focaccia sandwiches and seasonal salads. Dishes include:
- The Supernova sandwich, with ‘Brett Graham’ English Iberico pork sausage in a muffin with egg, brown sauce and Cheddar.
- A shredded Cumbrian chicken focaccia with sesame chilli crunch, mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and shredded iceberg.
- Roasted beetroot salad with rhubarb, feta, sesame and caraway sprinkle.
- Mozzarella and avocado salad with crushed olives, sourdough croutes, rocket and truffle honey.
The venue will also house a training academy, which will host a monthly coffee skills day for up to six of the women at Luminary’s Charity.
Angus Brydon, managing director of BM, said: "As a progressive and responsible business, it is hugely important for us to work with partners whose values are aligned to ours to deliver products and services that have a positive impact on the communities in which we operate.
“The mission behind Nova is to offer some of London's most vulnerable women with the opportunity to build their confidence and skills in order to create a sustainable and successful future for themselves."
Luminary empowers women who have faced gender-based violence and disadvantage, providing training, employment and community support. Using baking as a practical, creative, and therapeutic tool, Luminary takes women on a journey toward employability and entrepreneurship.
Leila Siassi, managing director of Luminary Bakery, added: "This café is more than just a place to grab a coffee; it's a space of transformation. Through this partnership, we are creating real opportunities for women to rebuild their confidence and gain skills that will help them thrive in the workplace. Every purchase made here is an investment in a woman’s future."
BM’s partnership with Luminary Bakery, launched in 2024, has already created new opportunities for women in hospitality. By offering work placements and selling Luminary’s pastries at client sites, BM has helped the bakery expand its team and increase its social impact.