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Posted: Wed 15th Jul 2026
Welcome to Small Business Sessions, brought to you by Enterprise Nation as part of Powering Local Businesses, our collaboration with EDF Small Business and Square.
This series explores the practical steps small businesses can take to grow and thrive – from improving energy efficiency and embracing sustainability to creating a lasting impact in their local communities.
In this episode, we're joined by Max Tobias, co-founder of The Dusty Knuckle, one of London's best-known bakery businesses.
Max shares how his experience working with young people in the youth justice system led to the idea for a bakery that could create real opportunities for people facing barriers to employment.
He talks about starting small, growing from a shipping container and building a business whose product has to stand on its own while the social impact sits at the heart of the company.
How Max's background in youth intervention and youth justice shaped the idea for his business
Using a local restaurant's pizza oven early in the morning to test the product and build demand
How The Dusty Knuckle's youth employment programme supports young people coming from custody, care, insecure housing and other difficult circumstances
Training the wider team to support young people without making the programme feel separate from the business
What it's like running a bakery business in 2026, including rising costs, early starts and the pressure on hospitality
Why Max wants the business to become a London community asset people genuinely care about
You can also listen on other platforms and Enterprise Nation.
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