Modern Baker

Modern Baker is an Oxford-based food-technology company that develops clean-label ingredient technologies intended to raise the nutritional profile of carbohydrate-based ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Rather than opposing ultra-processing, the company positions nutrient density as the corrective, deconstructing beneficial properties of plant material and reconstructing them into staple foods that target metabolic and gut health while remaining compatible with existing industrial manufacturing processes.

Its proof-of-concept product is SUPERLOAF, a seeded white bread launched in the UK in 2021 and co-manufactured by Hovis. The loaf combines brown and golden linseeds, poppy, chia and hemp seeds, wheat flour and rye with wheat gluten and acacia and guar gums; it contains selected prebiotic fibres and bioactive plant compounds subjected to targeted fermentation, and each slice is reported to contain 4g of protein and 3g of dietary fibre. The company states the product slows glucose absorption, reduces calorie load and supports gut microbiome activity. Beyond bread, Modern Baker has identified a pipeline of ultra-processed categories including biscuits, sweet bakery, breakfast cereals, ready meals and beverages.

Founding story

The company was founded by Melissa Sharp and Leo Campbell; sources give the founding year variously as 2015 and 2017. The healthy-UPF concept originated in Sharp's experience in a chemotherapy ward, where the food offered to patients prompted her to reconsider the role of food in illness and recovery.

Business model

Modern Baker describes a capital-light, SaaS-style licensing model: rather than manufacturing at scale itself, it licenses its ingredient-based nutrient-density technology and IP to established food manufacturers, which apply it to upgrade existing everyday brands. Hovis is the first licensee, under a three-year exclusive licensing deal signed in 2023. The company cites strong IP and recurring revenues as the basis of the model.

Licensing of ingredient technology and IP to food manufacturers, generating recurring revenue, in place of traditional own-brand food manufacturing.

Traction

SUPERLOAF has been on sale in the UK since 2021 and is stocked in M&S, Sainsbury's and Ocado. Hovis manufactures it under a three-year exclusive licence signed in 2023. The company has secured six to seven UK government grants totalling £4m, most recently reported in September 2023, and closed a £2.5m Series A in July 2025.

Latest developments

In July 2025 Modern Baker announced a £2.5m Series A round led by impact investor network Adjuvo. The proceeds are earmarked for accelerating commercial rollout, expanding SUPERLOAF production and reach, deepening the scientific evidence base, developing the technology platform and growing licensing collaborations into categories such as biscuits, sweet bakery, breakfast cereals, ready meals and beverages.