Neil Large

Neil Large is Managing Director of Companio Bakery a successful sourdough and patisserie bakery in Manchester. But prior to 2019, he had been in construction for 25 years.

I spent many years in the construction industry. From the age of 19, starting with doing driveways and hard landscaping, Tarmacking, Block Paving, Slabbing, garden walls and landscapes as well as other ‘on the tools’ construction work. I did this for 16 years until 2010 when I was given the opportunity to work for a company that was looking to build a series of renewable power stations.

I spent over 7 years at that company, developing and ultimately part of the delivery team for a landmark renewable power station in Beckton, East London as well as developing some sites for novel solutions for data centre energy delivery.

In 2017 I started a small company with some colleagues to do consultancy in renewable energy and other infrastructure delivery, but in July 2018 my brother Ian, who I was very close to passed away suddenly.

This led to a loss of motivation on my part in what I was doing at the time and from that, asking myself questions of what I really wanted for my life…

I had always taken a keen interest in food, and a desire to create something my son, Sebastian could, if he wanted to, work with me in. Sebastian has Down’s Syndrome and I felt I could bring him under my wing in some way. That’s when I spotted the School of Artisan Food (SAF) in early 2019. I got straight in touch with Sheila at SAF and was being shown around within a day or two with the next Advanced Diploma in Baking cohort starting within a few weeks!

I signed up and spent the next 6 months on the wonderful Welbeck Estate, learning to bake. I loved it.

After graduation, SAF had sent the prospectus for a small bakery that former SAF student, Russell Goodwin had started in 2015, but was now wanting to sell, Companio. I’d become good friends with fellow student, Baneta Yelda while on the course and with some financial help from my friend Phil, Baneta and I were able to buy the bakery, taking over on 1^st December 2019.

Since then, I’ve never worked so hard, but never felt so much job satisfaction either. It’s not necessarily the romantic idea you go into baking with, but it is immensely satisfying, and the positive feedback we’re fortunate to receive from customers, makes for a very special feeling.

Baneta and I have been steadily growing Companio since we took over and have made it our own in the past 5 years, and we’ve now opened a second bakery in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.