Jamie Oliver has been granted planning permission to turn a former stable block at his historic home into a pop-up takeaway bakery – three weeks after he had already planned to open it. The celebrity chef has been given the green light to change the use of the former block to serve baked goods, sandwiches, and coffee at his home.
The bakery will operate in the grounds of Spains Hall, a Grade I-listed home built in around 1570 in an area that has been used to host weddings. His month-long trial had been due to start at the beginning of August but an initial ‘determination’ deadline set for July 25 was missed by council planners.
Just days before its intended opening, planners announced a delay after a ‘notifiable’ neighbour was not consulted on the plans – putting his scheduled trial back by weeks. Announcing the planning approval on Friday (August 22), planners at Braintree District Council said it had amended the approval so August’s month-long trial could be ‘any month’ over the next year.
Case officer Jack Street wrote: “The scheme would result in social and economic benefits within a rural area, including short-term employment benefits. There is potential for the site to attract visitors from a broader region, which can in turn help to support the vitality of nearby services and facilities within the district.
“Whilst there may be an increase in traffic generation, this would be mitigated by the temporary nature of the consent and is somewhat comparable to the existing wedding/function use of the stable block which results in an increased traffic profile to and from the site when in operation. Officers are not advised of any concerns by consultees, nor have any objections been received from local residents or the parish council.
“Notwithstanding that the submission initially targeted August 2025, it was agreed early within the assessment that a longer period would be more practical and would allow flexibility. As such, it was agreed that a temporary consent is granted to permit a one-month period of operation within a year of this permission which is reflected by a suitably worded condition.”
No formal objections were registered and Braintree District Council previously said the delay was caused by an error during the consultation process. A spokesperson said: “During our review of the consultation process, it came to our attention that some neighbouring properties had not been formally notified. In the interests of transparency and procedural fairness, we considered it necessary to carry out additional consultation to ensure all potentially affected parties have the opportunity to comment.”
It is understood that the notification to a neighbour was missed when the application was being checked. Oliver’s original proposal was to open the bakery throughout August, operating seven days a week from 9am to 5pm into jeopardy.
Oliver submitted a number of supporting documents via his representatives to support his application. His representatives stated: “The proposed temporary change of use offers the opportunity to trial a new small scale commercial use within a rural location which will not cause any detrimental heritage, traffic or amenity impacts.”
Since the Middle Ages, the house and estate in Finchingfield, Essex, has been in the ownership of just three families, and was sold to Oliver in 2019. Oliver, via his representatives added: “The existing kitchen within the building will be used for food preparation.
“Public access would be restricted to the main room open plan within the building plus the toilets, both of which are on the ground floor. No physical alterations are required to the building internally or externally in support of the proposals and there is no impact on any areas of soft landscaping or habitat.”
The application stated that customers would use the existing parking at the back of the Stable Block while an extra area would be available for an overflow if needed. Oliver’s representatives said the proposals would have ‘no impact on the scale, amount, design, layout or access to the site’.
The Coach House and Stable Block originally dates from 18th Century and was first listed in 1967 when it was in use as stables. In recent years it has been used to host weddings and other functions. It is estimated six employees would be needed for the bakery and deliveries would be made three times a week.
Oliver has previously sought permission for repair works to the property, including windows, doors, and masonry and is credited with renovating it from a state of disrepair.
The £6 million house serves as his family home, where he lives with his wife, Jools, and their five children. Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School has also offered a cooking experience at Spains Hall, allowing guests to learn from his chefs and sample ingredients from his garden.
