Historic village bakery goes up for sale
A HISTORIC village bakery which was forced to close during the pandemic has been put on the market by its proprietors.
Caroline and Paul France have asked Blacks Business Brokers to find a new owner for The Cottage Bakery, Crawshawbooth, with a guide price of £349,950 to take over the freehold.
Mr and Mrs France themselves took the Burnley Road bakery over in 1997 and operated it successfully until November 2020 when they were sadly forced to close as a result of ill-health.
They now wish to sell the premises in order to retire.
The property for sale, which has housed a bakery for a century, also includes a shop next-door which is currently used for storage by a tenant.
A large two-bedroom flat spanning the footprint of both retail properties is located on the first floor, and to the rear of the property is an enclosed yard. The bakery is fully equipped, with all fixtures and fittings included in the sale.
Until closing last November the Cottage Bakery made all of its products onsite, by hand.
A number of its recipes, including those for its popular pies and custard tarts, were passed down from the previous owners, and can be made available to whoever purchases the business.
In its last full year of trading the business achieved turnover of almost £120,000, based on limited opening hours.
According to Mrs France a new owner could significantly boost takings by opening full-time, introducing new product lines including hot sandwiches, or even knocking through into the shop next-door and converting it into a cafe area.
She also pointed out that new housing developments in the village will increase the number of local potential customers.
“A good artisan bakery would really fly here,” she added.
● ALL enquiries to Blacks Business Brokers on 0333 370 0000, quoting reference 7371.