Coventry Bakers and Bakeries

As always, lots of wonderful, magical memories. Living in Sewall Highway, obviously we were not far from Alfall Road bakery. When I use to come home on weekends from the Royal Navy, my mum would always make sure that somebody had collected a fresh cream bun ring from this bakery. They were heavenly. Being a growing lad, I probably ate more than my fair share of it. Another memory, having been to Saturday morning pictures at the Gaumont, returning to Far Gosford Street to catch the No 7 bus back to Sewall Highway. Close to the bus stop was a bun shop. So the dilemma was, do I catch the bus home, or do I (we) buy a couple of dry bread rolls and walk home. We certainly didn't have money for both. On a more serious note, over the last 40 years, my work has taken me into most of the major bakeries in the country. I have always worked on industrial gas equipment. Worked for many years for the company that supplied the gas burners for the bread ovens. Many years ago, most major towns and cities would have their own large bakeries, slowly the major bakers took them over. In the early 70's the Co-op sold out to Spillers French Baking, then in the late 70's Spillers French withdrew from the bread making altogether. As many people have already said, in those days, the major groups were Rank Hovis McDougalls and the Weston Brothers, later to become British Bakeries and The Allied Bread Group. Each had their own major brand, i.e. Sunblest and Mothers Pride. Not sure what they are called these days, certainly what was RHM has changed hands several times. Happy days, spent many, many happy Saturdays, sometimes Saturday nights also, in these places.

Yes but you must have passed another baker's on the way, next to the No1 bus stop in Gosford Street close to the junction with Cox Street. It had formerly been the English Meat Company and retained the name "English" even though it was no longer a butchers. They specialised in decorative birthday and Christmas cakes. My seventh birthday cake for example was made there in the shape of the number seven. The baker's shop was swept aside circa 1965 along with many other family businesses when the extension to the college of art was built.

Thank you Rob and Philip, the name Gee's is the correct one, as soon as I saw your response Rob it came to me, thank you both once again.

Is Gladdings Bakery still in existence? They used to have shops in the Foleshill area

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Elizabeth the Chef, although, I suppose, they are not technically a "baker". I remember their shop in the Precinct near the round Wimpy Bar. My mother-in-law's friend used to buy cakes from Elizabeth's and then tell everyone she had made them herself.

Elizabeth the Chef also had a shop at the Forum. I always remember their crusty white batches were enormous and very light. They pretty much disintegrated as soon as you bit into them! Despite that, they were absolutely lovely. All the comestibles from Elizabeth's were scrumptious. Very handy for me, living in Burns Road at the time.

I see from Elizabeth's web-site that they are still in business, but it appears that all their shops have closed and they just make cakes and desserts for the big supermarket chains.

Elizabeth the Chef were never really my mother's choice for bread, but she would never return from a trip to town without some of their cakes. I particularly remember their pineapple gateaux with chopped nuts around the side. Their cream cakes were pretty good too!

It was just 'Elizabeth's' in my younger days in the temporary shops in Broadgate. Their quality never changed.

My brother-in-law, Jim McKeevor, worked for Elisabeth the Chef and it was he who invented the roulade!

Elisabeth the Chef has several factories in Leamington Spa. They have just built a new factory, and spent a lot of money so as to extend the shelf life of their products.

Roulade means roll in French it is a classic way of cooking it can be sweet or savoury i.e. rolled and tied meat or as in jam roll or Christmas log and so on, it is a very old way of cooking food. Sorry but your brother-in-law did not "invent roulade".

I am sorry. I wasn't trying to gain any brownie points. I have phoned Jim today who now (after making a fool of me) tells me that he didn't "invent the roulade", but the meringue dessert that we now know as a roulade. I completely forgot what a roulade was. If he tells me he invented the mince pie, then he's history! Sorry to be misleading, misinformed and mistaken and thanks, Meerkat, for pointing it out.

He's still having you on.

That was Sutton & Ross' "Crown Bakery" before they moved to Maudslay Road in 1930. It is now the Coventry Boring and Metalling Co. Ltd but may well have had a different owner between 1930 and 1951. The barber's shop which is now at No.5 was originally the bakery's retail outlet.