Crumbs!

[nmg]

First direct impact that the recession has had on us - our friendly, local, family-run bakery is closing shop this Saturday! There is a Greggs over the road from them, but their bread isn't a patch on that from the Shoebox (and the bread in Waitrose always leaves me feeling rather under-whelmed).

On the plus side, they're keeping the catering and celebration cakes side going, but not from the Portswood shop.

Comments

[esther-reeves.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. We are if anything using the local shops more not less.. if you pop into the bakers for a loaf you can't then buy 6 unrelated things that looked good unlike the supermarket.

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

I am sad to say that I always thought their stuff was mediocre to revolting and the staff surly at best :(
I used to unreservedly love the previous bakery that was there, but the Shoebox when it took over wasn't a patch on it.
Anything from Greggs is inedible, however.

Portswood continues its sad decline... soon there will only be tanning salons and charity shops... :(

When I first moved to Portswood it was a riot of independents, the best of which used to be Wiseman's: an arts and crafts shop run by an old guy with an encyclopaedic knowledge of materials, techniques and sources. He sold me all of my materials when I was doing A-level art and many books on art, craft and artists that I still have. He even gave me practical hints on celtic knotwork when I was having a stab at manuscript illumination in my teens.

I just hope that the hardware shop survives. I always make a point of buying as much in there as possible.

[ias.livejournal.com]

We might have to investigate other local independent bakeries. Not sure if there is one in Bitterne, there's def. one near our dentist.

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

What a shame; it's very tough for small independent retailers to compete with the supermarket behemoths now :(

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I personally would recommend a combination of a Panasonic bread machine (I'm sure there are other good brands, but Panasonic are the ur-brand here) and flour and concentrates from www.freebake.co.uk . That latter isn't organic, but the bread is so much nicer than when we use stoneground organic flour from the windmill. Hmm. We mostly bake using 50% multiseed (or sunflower and poppy seed) concentrate, 25% white flour, and 25% wholemeal flour. The bread is cheaper than similar breads from a shop, but we also tend to bake almost exactly as much as we use; when we bought bread from supermarkets we tended to buy too much.

[theno23.livejournal.com]

There used to be a decent bakery on bittern triangle.

Shame about Shoebox, I didn't like their bread that much, but some of the other stuf was good and it was handy.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's a shame.

It almost seems gloating to point out that the rather marvellous Blackbird Bakery in Herne Hill has become my stop of choice for baked goods, and that it is conveniently situated next to a traditional greengrocers (also sells jam, honey and free range eggs), a butcher selling inexpensive and free range meat, and an excellent fishmonger. All a pleasant 20 minute walk or five minute bus journey from my flat.

Oh well. *gloats*

[ruthj.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that.

We don't have a proper bakery nearby. Am very jealous of anyone who does.

If I want good bread I can get it from the (monthly) farmers market or with the (weekly) Abel and Cole veg box.

When I our little baby has got a bit older for I might get round to making bread in the breadmaker. (Which is currently in the garage cos the kitchen isn't big enough to have things that are not used regularly)

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

we lost the coffee shop that did organic everything including bacon butties and sold sourdough loaves for £2 last year, so it might not be recession related?

[marklesuk.livejournal.com]

our budgens now does absolutely lovely bread baked on the premises along with fresh meat and a whole stand of local goods.
one of the reasons it now sees about 25% of our food spend - that and walking to and from school

but the bakers in the village is naff- so god knows how that keeps going

lil