Square Fuels Growth and Community Connection for Blackbird Bakery

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Square, the business platform that helps sellers become neighbourhood favourites, is proud to support Blackbird Bakery, a much-loved South London institution serving its communities with artisan breads, pastries, and coffee for over 20 years.

Still owned by its original founders, Blackbird Bakery has grown organically from a single neighbourhood bakery into a thriving business with ten locations as well as market stalls and other mainstream partnerships. Known for its signature sourdough, which now makes up a quarter of its trade, Blackbird has always prioritised quality, natural ingredients and community connection over fast growth and profit.

To prepare for the next stage of expansion, Blackbird hired a Head of Retail Operations, Valerio Diecidue, in 2024 to bring fresh structure to the business. One of his first changes was migrating to Square’s integrated ecosystem, replacing a slow and outdated till system with a solution that could scale seamlessly.

“If we wanted to expand and grow, we needed the right technology,” said Valerio. “Square was already on my radar as a great solution, and it was also recommended by several operators we trust. It has transformed how we run our business - from giving us real-time data and insights to making the customer and staff experience effortless. Square looks great from a customer perspective, is simple to use, and gives us the tools we need to keep growing.”

Blackbird uses Square’s point-of-sale and integrated Kitchen Display System (KDS) across all its locations. Orders flow instantly from customer to kitchen, ensuring a seamless journey for both staff and guests. The system’s clean, minimalistic design also makes training simple, with new team members confident on tills in under 20 minutes. The bakery’s loyalty scheme is powered by Embargo, a Square partner, making the integration easy and effective.

With community at its heart and growth firmly on the horizon, Blackbird Bakery is actively exploring new locations across London. Square continues to power that journey, supporting Blackbird’s mission to serve fresh, quality food that brings people together.

“Square is proud to partner with iconic businesses like Blackbird Bakery that embody the spirit of the local community while looking ahead to ambitious growth,” said Ming-Tai Huh, Head of Food & Beverage at Square. “By combining Square’s flexible technology with their passion for quality and neighbourhood connection, Blackbird is perfectly positioned to continue thriving for the next 20 years and beyond.”

To learn more about how Square supports bakeries and cafés across the UK, visit squareup.com/gb.

About Square

Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favourites.

In 2009, Square started with a simple invention – the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities.

Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, banking, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com