Artisan bakery’s tech for good brings joy to all | City & Business | Finance

Whether it’s custom Easter eggs blending Venezuelan chocolate with pistachio tiramisu or the development of AI training technology that provides access to neurodivergent and bilingual staff, Signorelli shows what good things can be achieved with the right business focus. The East London group of artisan bakeries and cafes has become a pastry hub for over 12 years, offering Italian coffee, handcrafted baked goods and seasonal food, as well as expanding catering and event offerings.

Rebecca Rosmini, a consultant, is the company’s CEO and head baker, and her husband, Alberto, a former agronomist. He explains why they started their first business: “Their food was so good we had to share it.” With 45 employees from 10 different nationalities, they now operate from the main bakery in Stratford and five cafes, producing their own cookies and croissants. “Everything from focaccia sandwiches to cakes is made from scratch, with a focus on local sourcing, food mileage reduction and consistency. It’s a welcoming, neighborhood-focused approach, and we have complete control over quality, ingredients and taste. Customers love green for its natural connotations, which makes pistachios extremely appealing,” explains the establishment, grounded in community and fueled by consumers’ growing appetite for quality food. As work habits change, coffee has become more popular than just a food, and the demand for iced and decaffeinated beverages has also increased. Signorelli’s specifically selected the coffee blend to work with London’s hard water.

Always with a second life in mind, the business is 95 percent food waste-free, with yesterday’s croissants turning into a new pudding and excess bread croutons or breadcrumbs. Switching to refillable milk kegs saves tons of plastic.

With turnover forecast at £3.5m in 2026/27, much of this will come from Signorelli’s jewel in the crown; technology advances a digitally focused approach to education and creates a lasting impact on people’s lives by enabling them to earn a living. Around 15 to 20 per cent of adults in the UK are neurodiverse, and it was Rebecca’s local government work that opened her eyes to their needs and their relevance to business.

Now, with a £20,000 grant from the government-backed Made Smarter programme, delivered locally by growth agency London & Partners, as well as strong landlord relationships, the idea has become a viable reality. Over the past 18 months, the business has built a digital backbone that integrates stock control, routes, sales and customer interaction. The company’s in-house bot allows teams to access all procedures and policies using Bot Lui, a WhatsApp channel. Customers place orders with Bot Flo and operations can handle 25 languages.

“What once took six months to put together is now fast and seamless. It’s crucial to maintain control of the data with tight margins,” says Rebecca. “Adopting AI makes our education more accessible and inclusive. It’s not about replacing people, it’s about driving development. We’re open to new collaborations and maintaining quality at scale.”