Bread Ahead, a well-known bakery in London's Borough Market, says it has been told to leave the site because it has become "too successful", with founder Matthew Jones warning the move could cost 83 jobs. Jones, who left school at 15 to become a chef and built the business from scratch without borrowing money, described the decision as "devastating" and said he could not understand why success would be penalised. The dispute has drawn attention partly because it comes just as the company is expanding internationally rather than struggling.

Jones said Borough Market's operator, a charity, cited the bakery's success and international franchising as reasons for the request to "wind down operations". Bread Ahead, founded in 2013 and also known for its 2014-launched Bakery School offering baking masterclasses, already has outlets in Bangkok, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and is due to open its first US site in New York this November. A Borough Market spokesperson said lease renewal decisions follow a formal, confidential process applied "fairly and consistently", and that discussions with Bread Ahead about its future at the market are ongoing.