OATCAKE SHOP VISITED BY PIXIE LOTT PASSED ON AS GARY CALLS TIME
Business taken on by sons after 11 years
A POPULAR oatcake shop owner who has been in the trade for 11 years has retired – and handed over the business to his two sons.
Gary and Lisa Smith bought London Road Oatcakes, in Stoke, over a decade ago, and despite a rocky start, soon managed to build up their popularity.
Now the business – which was facing threats of closure by environmental health before it was bought by the current owners – is a valued part of the community.
Gary, aged 60, said: “We knew it was a bit of a gamble but we knew we could turn it around and give it a go and that’s what we did. Now it’s a successful business.
“It took a couple of years to build the reputation back up and publicise the fact that it was under new management.
“Lisa is a dental hygienist so a lot of the hygiene systems they have in place for the dental practice were introduced to the shop, so there was strict hygiene. The new approach we brought with us helped to turn it around and now it’s very popular and we are very busy.”
Gary has been working since he was of 16, as a fitter and welder before taking on the oatcake shop.
He retired on Saturday alongside Lisa, 47, who will go back to being a
dental hygienist as well as a Covid-19 vaccinator.
Their sons Steven, 32 and Christopher, 30, will be taking over the business.
Gary said: “I’ve loved my time there. “I’ve done all sorts in my working life but I really enjoyed this. You meet all sorts of people from all walks of life and that’s part of it for me. I will really miss it, there’s no doubt.
“I met Pixie Lott when she was at Party in the Park in Hanley – but I didn’t know who she was.
“She was polite and friendly and she had some oatcakes. I stood smiling and after she went somebody said ‘that’s Pixie Lott (below)!’. I didn’t know who she was.”
He added: “The biggest challenge for us in the shop was getting rid of its poor reputation.
“We overcame it by getting ourselves out there. “Sometimes I’ve been there until 10.30pm and in as early as 4am, which means getting up at 3am.
“It’s been hard work, it hasn’t landed on our lap, we had to put the effort in and the investment in, in terms of money.
“It’s the end of an era. It’s the new generation that is taking over and I am going to get a rest. It’s exciting because it’s a new time in my life.
“I’m not getting any younger so I’m going to retire while I have some health left.”