Pure Kitchen Bakery Team shortlisted at Health and Care Champion Awards

Pure Innovations’ Pure Kitchen Bakery Team is celebrating a shortlisting for Team of the Year at the Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards 2025.

What started as a small café and bakery in Vernon Park has grown into a busy, thriving kitchen that now supplies all Pure cafés and even caters for external businesses across Stockport.

Run by Stockport-based charity, Pure Innovations, the commercial bakery provides individuals with a physical or learning disability the opportunity to learn new skills and build friendships. Around three-quarters of the team are neurodivergent or have a learning disability and many had never baked before joining. 

In the last year alone, the team have doubled the number of buffets they provide, started supplying over 10 local businesses with daily fresh bread and cakes, and launched a barista coffee service, opening up even more chances to learn new skills and connect with the local community. Every week, the team also bakes and donates loaves of bread to The Wellspring, a homelessness charity in Stockport.

In a blog post announcing the win, the Pure Innovations team said:

“When you step into Pure Kitchen or any Pure Coffee cafés, you won’t be able to tell who’s staff, who’s learning, or who’s just made their first ever loaf and that’s exactly how it should be! This nomination highlights the incredible impact they’ve had, not just through their delicious food, but by giving people the confidence, skills and real-world experience needed to thrive in the workplace and beyond.

“We are so proud of everything the Bakery Team has achieved, and we can’t wait to cheer them on at the awards ceremony in July!“

The Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards are organised by NHS Greater Manchester and are the only city-region-wide awards to recognise members of the paid and unpaid workforce who regularly go above and beyond to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Greater Manchester.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 10th July 2025 at The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester city centre.