Claire Taylor has been baking with her husband Barry for the past 28 years (Image: SWNS)
Scotland’s oldest bakery is being sold after 200 years and six generations in the same family. The Alexander Taylor Bakery in 1820 Strathaven, south of Glasgow.
Married couple Claire and Barry Taylor took the helm of the bakery 28 years ago but decided it was time to end the 200 hundred year family story that had played out in the old building. Instead they want to spend more time on hobbies and doing things they love together.
Claire shared: “We’d love to have a bit more time to paint. We both love the outdoors; we’re both keen cyclists, so we’re looking forward to having a different pace of life.
“The bakery had a momentum of its own and it took us along to the ride. We’ve done this bit of its journey and hopefully it’s going to carry on with someone else at the helm.”
Barry and Claire met at art school in Cheltenham, but returned to continue the family’s 200 year heritage. Barry’s father managed the business until the mid-nineties.
The bakery has been in the family for six generations (Image: SWNS)
Barry’s father used to cater for people visiting Strathaven in the 1920s (Image: SWNS)
The couple brought up their own family over the years whilst working in the bakery.
But now, with their children grown up, the couple have made the decision to sell the business.
“The bakery is my husband’s family business, and his parents ran it before us. We’ve been the custodians of it for a long time.
“It has had a long and thriving history, and I feel like it is time for the next chapter for the business.”
Barry told the BBC: “In the Victorian era, my great-grandfather began to develop it more because there used to be a courtyard at the back.
“Then in the 1920s, Strathaven became a town people would come to for day trips as the coaches which ran from Ayrshire to Edinburgh would stop there, so my family did a lot of catering towards that.”
The couple have spent years cultivating relationships with their local community and becoming an integral part of the town’s fabric.
Claire and Barry now thing its time to focus on things they love doing together like painting and cycling (Image: SWNS)
“It changes every day – it’s a very creative business, I think,” said Claire. I think we’re quite key to a lot of people’s daily interactions with local businesses, and I like having that.
“I know a lot of people who live in and around this area through the business, so it’s a social thing too.
The bakery is up for sale with Business Partnership (Image: SWNS)
“I think we both take pride in selling nice stuff and producing lovely things – they’re things that give people pleasure, whether it’s bread or patisseries!”
Barry and Claire are on the hunt for a buyer who will continue their legacy while adding a fresh twist to the bakery.
“It feels like it’s the right time for us to step aside and let somebody else build on what we’ve achieved,” said Claire.
A plaque has been put up to commemorate the historic significance of the bakery to Strathaven (Image: SWNS)
“We’ve managed to ride the storm of a lot of retail changes, and we’ve been really lucky that our little community is pretty buoyant.
“It feels like it’s a good time for somebody to move it forwards again. It’s a very adaptable business and I think somebody else will be able to put a slightly different spin on it.
“I think it has a good future”, said Claire (Image: SWNS)
“There’s space for development and growth – it feels like we’re leaving it in a healthy position. I think it has a good future.”
Meanwhile, the couple are looking forward to spending more time outdoors and returning to their roots with more time for painting.
The Taylor family outside the bakery (Image: SWNS)
The sale of the business is a mixed blessing as the couple gear up for their next adventure, but they express immense pride in their accomplishments.
The bakery is now on the market with Business Partnership, who are welcoming inquiries from potential buyers.
Barry’s bread making days are drawing to a close (Image: SWNS)
Cameron Young, the agent overseeing the sale, commented: “Alexander Taylor Bakery has been a cornerstone of Strathaven for over two centuries; the current owners, and their family before them, have done a remarkable job of preserving its heritage and traditional charm.
“Their commitment to quality and community has kept the bakery’s reputation alive and thriving. A new owner will inherit these strong foundations, with the opportunity to build on its proud legacy for generations to come.”