Lockdown service delivers success for Baglan Bakery

Launching a home delivery service has proved a great success for Baglan Bakery – and has also helped the local community get through the Lockdown.

The long-established bakery, taken over by husband and wife team Lisa and Darren Evans three years ago, offers traditional bakery products, filled rolls and snacks and a buffet and cake decorating service for special events.

“Lockdown obviously meant that parties and special occasions no longer took place so that aspect of the business suffered,” said Lisa. “We needed to find a way to make up for this loss of business and keep everything going.”

The answer was to launch a delivery service, working with Just Eat, and this proved a great success. “This has gone really well and compensated for the loss of business on the events side,” she said. “Customers have really appreciated the fact that we have come to them and this has been good for everyone.”

The business received a £500 Business Support Grant administered by Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE and Neath and Port Talbot County Borough Council, which was used to install CCTV.

Now the plan is that Darren, who was recently made redundant from Ford in Bridgend, will build up the delivery service, going to workplaces in the area offering a lunchtime service.

The bakery employs 8 staff, and Lisa is confident that the future is bright. “We have a very loyal set of customers who have continued to support us during the pandemic and we are very grateful for this,” she added.

Glyn Thomas, Manager in Wales for UKSE said: “The business clearly plays an important role in the local community, and has extended its reach to serve the locality. We are delighted to have worked with the Council, through our Community Support Programme, to help Baglan Bakery and we wish them all success in the future.”

Sian Wyndham New Business Support and Development Mentor at Neath & Port Talbot County Borough Council, said : “Businesses such as Baglan Bakery are vital to the local community, and it’s great to see how our combined support has helped them.

“Working together with UKSE through their community support Programme, the Council’s Economic Development team is able to help new and existing businesses across a wide range of sectors to prosper and grow and we urge any business needing support to get in touch. We wish Lisa and her team all the very best with the future success of the business during these challenging times.”