Uniforms for bakeries

Bakehouse and shop need different kit, and both need to look clean, because flour shows on everything. Here is how to dress each part of the business. Start with the bakehouse.

In the bakehouse

Bakers spend hours at the bench and by the ovens, so breathable fabrics matter. Lightweight chef jackets or bakery tunics, cotton bib aprons and chef trousers are the usual choice. Hair covering is essential: skull caps, bakers' hats or hairnets keep hair out of dough.

Flour dust is a known cause of occupational asthma, so control dust at source where you can, and follow your risk assessment for breathing protection. Avoid fleecy fabrics in the bakehouse that hold flour and shed it later.

Hot ovens and heavy trays

Loading deck ovens and rack ovens means heat on the forearms and hands. Long sleeves and proper oven gloves reduce burns. Sacks of flour and full trays are heavy, and bakehouse floors can get slippery with flour and water. Safety footwear with a slip-resistant sole and toe protection makes sense for larger bakeries; check your risk assessment. Keep spare oven gloves by every oven.

On the shop counter

Shop staff are your brand at the till. A branded polo or T-shirt with a coloured apron, plus a cap or hairnet where they handle unwrapped food, gives a neat, food-safe look. Many bakeries pick warm colours like cream, brown or sage that suit bread and cake displays.

Light colours show flour less than black, which is worth remembering if the shop team also helps out in the back.

Where to put your logo

Embroider the bakery logo on the apron bib and the left chest of jackets and polos. Embroidery stands up to the frequent hot washes that floury, buttery workwear needs. For a traditional bakery, a cream or natural apron with brown or green thread looks right; for a modern patisserie, black or navy with a metallic-look thread can work. Keep the logo away from pocket openings that collect flour.

Ordering for bakeries

Most bakeries start with chef's jackets, chef's trousers, hats and oven gloves and branded aprons. You can order from one garment and add more as you take people on. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, so mixing styles and colours still gets the better price. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.