Hard work built bakery chain

Craigie reader Leila Le Messurier was delighted to see mention of her father TD Duncan in a piece on Dundee’s baking heritage in a recent edition.

She confirms that Mr Duncan started out at the former bakery on Benvie Road in 1934, where he made penny scones that she describes as having been “about the size of a tea plate”!

Leila adds: “The back shop of the shop in Cleghorn Street was his next move before the larger bakery next door was bought – where his selection of produce increased.

“That bakery was later used by the trades school to train apprentices. Shortly after the end of the war Dad joined Nicoll and Smibert, which was the retail outlet.

“Nicoll and Smibert’s bakery and confectionery was in Tay Street Lane, as well as offices, while TD Duncan’s bakery was on the corner of Baffin Street and Watson Street.

“At the time of his takeover of JD Ingram in Broughty Ferry there were about 18 outlets, one in Stonehaven and the shop in Dundee Royal Infirmary, which was managed by Millie Doig, who was the wife of Peter Doig – at that time working as a van supervisor before becoming an MP.”

Ms Le Messurier continues: “A mill in Robertson Street was purchased where the mechanics serviced the vans which were garaged there. The electric vans which were recharged overnight there were retail Nicoll and Smibert and went out to the housing estates.

“TD Duncan vans which went into Fife, Perthshire and Angus village shops were the wholesale. There was also a biscuit store and seasonal postage department on the ground floor rear of the garage and the offices above. In the attic was the Park Wynd Rifle Club for a number of years, as the university had taken over their premises.

“The Nethergate was modernised mid-50s, moving the bakery counter to the opposite side and introducing a delicatessen, with some of the goods being produced in the basement kitchen of the restaurant.

“It was all sold to RHM Bakeries, which included Beatties Bakeries, and Dad continued to work for them. He managed to get the contract for various lines for Marks and Spencer which were produced at King’s Cross Road.”

Leila says her father worked extremely hard at a trade that hadn’t been his first choice. “When leaving school in Kirriemuir he wanted to be a carpenter but there was only an apprenticeship for a baker available,” she explains.

“Unlike most of the other bakeries of that era in Dundee, he did not inherit it from previous generations.

“On Saturdays and holidays I was employed in various departments or shops, once even on the vans persuading customers to join the Christmas Club. One summer at JR Ingrams I was told by the manager I was working too many hours for my age. The joys of being the boss’s daughter!”

A picture kindly sent to Craigie by Leila shows a group of bakers, including her father, gathered in the trophy-laden Strathmore room at 2/4 Nethergate on their return from a successful exhibition.

She estimates the fabulous vintage photo was most likely taken some time in the late 1950s. You can see it directly above!

Dundee bakers with their silverware following a show triumph in the late 1950s. Back row: Dunc Robertson, George Duncan, Charlie Knight, Alec Martin, Willie Moonie and Bob Stenhouse. Danny Brown is front left with TD Duncan front right. See left for the full story.

Our thanks go to Angela Mitchell for sending Craigie this lovely picture of an osprey “keeping watch”, which she took while she was out walking near Dunning.