Buy your cake – and eat it!
FAMILY-RUN Birds Bakery has opened a new shop in a former West Bridgford launderette complete with cafe area.
All the best-sellers including caramel doughnuts, cream slices and jam tarts are in display cabinets in the shop along with savoury foods including sliced ham, pork pies, steak pies and freshly-baked loaves of bread.
Hot food is also available, such as sausage rolls, bacon and sausage cobs and roast pork cobs with stuffing and apple sauce.
An Easter range of cakes with mini eggs, chocolate bunnies and simnel cakes is on sale at the shop – the 62nd Birds Bakery in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
The cafe area is out of bounds until rules on hospitality are relaxed – expected to be around May 17 as laid down by the Government roadmap. It has space for 24 people to eat inside.
Area manager Mark Stirk said: “We have the full range of everything we sell at Birds. We have hot drinks, hot food and the things we’re famous for like cream cakes. It was important to have that full offer to start with.”
The shop in Melton Road is the second in West Bridgford, complementing a branch in Central Avenue.
Mr Stirk said the redevelopment of the Victorian property retained some original features, alongside more modern touches such as lampshades featuring the Birds logo.
“Originally it would have been somebody’s family home – a very nice home,” he added. “It’s contemporary but we’ve kept a lot of the original features like the stained glass windows. That was a very conscious decision to do that.
“What’s been really nice is that the feedback we’ve had from customers has been absolutely positive that we’re in this part of West Bridgford.
“Equally as nice we’ve had local traders come down and say how welcome we are – it’s great to have a Birds on this high street.”
Shoppers can pay with cash at the new shop in Melton Road as well as card.
Last year the company hit the headlines for its policy of only accepting card payments, resulting in elderly customers without bank cards being unable to shop.
The shop was officially opened on Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony by EMAS voluntary First Responders Alison Curtis and Jacqui Maris.