Proving Pete's, formerly 'Jo's Loaves', The Old Butchery, Offley Hoo Farm SG5 3ED
Jo's Loaves
Jo Bottrill is the founder and original artisan baker behind Jo’s Loaves, a Hertfordshire-based micro-bakery celebrated for its handcrafted, flavour-driven bread. Born and raised in St Albans, Jo learned to cook from an early age alongside her mother, developing a deep respect for real ingredients, home-grown produce, and a waste-nothing ethos that became the foundation of her baking philosophy. After training in home economics and spending many years in market research and executive roles, Jo’s lifelong passion for food ultimately led her back to the kitchen.
Her bread-baking journey began in earnest in 2005 and quickly evolved from using a breadmaker to producing fully hand-crafted loaves. In 2011, Jo launched Jo’s Loaves from her home kitchen, before expanding into farmers’ markets and wholesale supply. By 2014, she had moved into dedicated bakery premises in Offley, investing in professional equipment and steadily growing the business through cafés, farm shops, and regular market trading. The opening of a permanent shop at Offley Hoo Farm marked another milestone, allowing customers to buy directly from the bakery courtyard.
Now in 2026, after many years of baking—and countless early mornings, long days, and both triumphs and challenges—Jo has decided to step away from the baking business. She leaves behind a much-loved local bakery built on skill, integrity, and community, and is now passing on her hard-won knowledge and experience to the next generation, ensuring the ethos of Jo’s Loaves continues well into the future.
The Mission Statement
The whole idea is to bake great bread, without the addatives, without the numbers, without the nonsense. Go back to the roots and make it by person and not machine. Here at Proving Pete's just like at Jo's Loaves, our Sourdough is made using just four ingredients. Flour, Water, Salt and Time. The natural fermentation allows for better taste and digestion as the gluten is allowed to properly form. We aim to provide this bread wholesale to cafes and restaurants and catering operations as well as open the doors of the bakery for people to stop in and get REAL bread Wednesday to Saturday.
Proving Pete's
Peter is the new baker behind Proving Pete’s, formerly Jo’s Loaves. A professional chef by trade, Peter brings decades of experience working across a wide range of kitchens, developing a deep understanding of flavour, technique, consistency, and the importance of quality ingredients. Alongside his professional career, baking has always been a constant passion, quietly refined over many years.
Over the past month, Peter has been working closely with Jo, undertaking intensive hands-on training to learn her methods, recipes, and standards in preparation for taking the reins of the bakery. This transition has been carefully planned to ensure continuity, with a strong focus on preserving the products, values, and customer relationships that have made the business so well loved.
Proving Pete’s continues to operate with the same commitment to craftsmanship, honesty, and high standards, with Peter dedicated to maintaining product quality, respecting tradition, and welcoming both long-standing and new customers alike as the bakery moves into its next chapter.
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