Small batch, handmade in London. That’s the strapline for Komodo Bakery, a small start-up with big ambitions, based here at New Covent Garden Market’s Mission Kitchen

Founders Joan Huang and Joe Brooke started Komodo Bakery so they could blend British and Asian flavours into delicious, unique breads, cakes, granola and biscuits using authentic ingredients. Their aim is to create a tasty and healthy dish, with flavours you just can’t find in a supermarket product.

“Bread was the first thing that we thought of making but there were concerns with longevity of the product,” explains Joe. “Then we thought of granola, especially as we’re big granola fans. We looked at what was available from supermarkets and discovered there was a lot of choice but not much flavour definition or any choice for vegans. We’re both vegetarians so right from the start we wanted to create a product that was made for us, by us.”

The world of food production was a long-established dream for both Joan and Joe, who started as software engineers, making the bold decision to leave lucrative jobs and start their own business to satisfy their creative streaks. “We wanted to make things with our hands,” explains Joan. The duo conducted research during lockdown and even contemplated starting a tea business run like a tech start up using their experiences of the industry. “We wanted to start with something small that we could both do part time, keeping our day jobs and launching the new business as a side hustle,” says Joan.

They heard on the grapevine about a new concept called Mission Kitchen – offering flexible access to commercial kitchens, workspace and business support that was about to open at New Covent Garden Market. “Mission Kitchen’s concept really appealed to us, being able to rent a kitchen space with all the equipment we needed without the set-up costs,” says Joe. “We weren’t ready to start a business full time back then but we finally joined Mission Kitchen in the summer of 2024, circling back to the idea of granola.”

The humble goji berry was the first ingredient that Komodo Bakery looked at: full of healthy antioxidants and packed with more amino acids than any other common berry. What’s more, studies have shown goji berry extract can boost brain function as well as lower blood sugar and blood pressure. “We started with matcha goji berries, making 4.5kg of granola and divided it into 200g and 400g bags,” says Joan. “But now we've improved our method since our initial experiments, so we have scaled up to make about 40kg-50kg in a batch and divide up accordingly. We’ve also established regular customers who we’ve offered bigger bags of 1kg, which works out cheaper for them.”

Currently, Komodo granola products have a minimum shelf life of four months. Varieties include Earl Grey and Yuzu (a citrus fruit from Japan, with orange-like flavours), and Hojicha with mulberries. Customer feedback is that the mulberries taste sweet like a date and the profile works well with roasted green tea flavours. In fact, every variety of granola Komodo creates has a flavour profile chart on the back of the packaging, which helps determine which flavour the customer is most interested in.

The packaging is also created in-house and initially changed every month to see what worked best with customers. Komodo now has customer-approved packaging, and also offers exclusive designs for brand collaborations and special occasions.

Following the success of its high-end granola, the team launched offshoot business Komodo Pantry selling Hojicha powder. This is a premium Japanese Sencha tea – in layman’s terms a roasted green tea, where the roasting process removes up to a quarter of the caffeine.

“When we started the business, we were buying in our Hojicha tea but that was proving too expensive,” says Joe. “Now we’ve found a new supplier, and we roast tea on site at Mission Kitchen. As a result, we have significantly cut our costs and we’re fully in control of all the ingredients and the flavours. We want to be completely authentic to ourselves and to our customers.”

Komodo also produces Melon Pan bread for event customers, described by Joan as a delightful ‘fusion of soft, sweet bread and a crunchy, cookie-like crust’. This baked treat is a popular favourite in Japan, with a golden-brown top that resembles a melon, though it’s not made with any fruit.

“It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a sweet indulgence, it’s a must-try for anyone seeking a taste of tradition,” says Joan.

Having fantastic products is key, but building a customer base is just as important for a start-up business. “Initially our customers were gained via word of mouth and by us attending events at Mission Kitchen and promoting what we do,” says Joan. “We’ve found that there’s just no substitute for face-to-face interaction with our customers, as we can taste test our products.”

Spending money on advertising can be a daunting challenge for a new business, especially when there’s no guarantee of a return on the investment, but Joe recognises it’s something Komodo Bakery will have to do to increase its market share. “So far we haven’t spent any money on advertising, so to get to this point is a really mixed feeling. We’re excited but there are a lot of challenges ahead for us to reach our goals.”

The first target was moving to a bigger production space, which meant Komodo became Mission Kitchen's latest success story when it left the building in April. “New, bigger premises is our next stepping stone; with a larger space we can expand our production and get economies of scale,” says Joan. However, the team will still be keeping its Mission Kitchen membership. “The mentoring aspect and the knowledge that we gain from talking with other more established businesses is so valuable.” Joe adds that Bonnie from Miso Tasty - another Mission Kitchen start-up – has been a great help to their business. “She’s been a big mentor to us, helping narrow down our market and also helping with suggestions for our packaging.”

The second target for the future is to work with distributors and retailers to spread the Komodo products to a wider audience. Komodo granola is now available from the popular Delli website, and the team has plans to move into bricks-and-mortar retail soon. “At this stage we’re trying to get into independent delis and businesses,” says Joan. “With our handmade, small batch sizes, a retailer the size and status of Selfridges would be perfect for us.”

For more information on Komodo Bakery’s offer, visit komodobakery.co.uk.