Honest Bread makes factual claims about real, named businesses. We take that seriously, both ethically and legally. This page explains exactly how we work.
Where listings come from
Listings reach the directory two ways.
- Bakers add or claim them. A baker can add their bakery or claim an existing listing, then sign the pledge.
- We compile them from public sources. Bakery websites, their own social media, local press, food writing and public directories. Where we do this, we record a source.
Either way, a bakery only appears if it meets the standard: baked from scratch on the premises, no additives, independent and accountable.
The three verification levels
Every listing carries one of three statuses, shown plainly on the page.
The bakery has claimed its listing and signed the Honest Bread Pledge. This is the strongest level. The Honest stamp shows on the profile.
We compiled the listing from public information and cite a source. The baker has not claimed it yet. The stamp shows, alongside an open invitation for the baker to take ownership.
The listing has not been confirmed. It is labelled, in plain words, “not yet verified”. No stamp shows until a baker signs or we add a public source.
The line we will not cross
We never publish text that calls a named business fake, industrial or not real. Our entire model is to celebrate the bakers who do the real thing, not to accuse the ones who do not. Where we talk about bake-off and bought-in bread, we do it in the abstract, as a description of a practice, never aimed at a named shop.
This is a deliberate ethical and legal choice. It keeps the directory fair, and it keeps it honest about its own limits.
Claiming, correcting and removing
If a listing is yours:
- Claim it to take ownership, sign the pledge and keep it accurate.
- Correct it through the flag link if a detail is wrong.
- Ask us to remove it if you would rather not be listed. We will.
We would always rather a listing be accurate and baker-controlled than guessed at, which is why claiming is free and quick.
Money never buys verification
The directory is free to search and free to be listed in. Bakeries can pay for Featured or Boost placement to be more visible. That is the only thing money changes. It never changes a verification status, and paid placement is always labelled as such, so you always know what you are looking at.