Shelleys at Highcliffe Bakery is our Trader of the Week as it continues to offer an extraordinary range of traditional and artisan fare during the current lockdown.

 What's more, they even deliver to their local community - including essentials such as ham, cheese and milk.

Owner Gary Marlow certainly used his 'loaf' when he opened on the site of the former Ballentine's bakery on Lymington Road two years ago.

He's a professional hotelier and caterer by trade who at 27 was general manager of the catering side of the Cambridge Science Park.  Gary has run his own hotel and restaurant besides being head chef at Sandy Balls holiday camp in the New Forest.

“The big hole in my CV was baking,” he said. “Even though I had done it at home for over 30 years. What I really wanted was an old-fashioned, traditional bakers and confectioners. When Ballentine’s came up I jumped at it, and within days of the shop becoming mine I was in here baking.

It was an instant hit  offering good old-fashioned bread “like your grandmother made”. Today it offers so much more besides.

"I wanted it to be traditional with real old fashioned traditional yeast and flour - English tasty bread like you would have years ago. That’s not easy because people have become used to processed products full of salt and sugar. So we offer artisan and speciality bread and traditional artisan cakes. The same with our pies and pastries and that’s become our USP ( unique selling point). I wanted to offer the traditional with a modern twist; very old style and very new style."

Covid-19  had a positive impact on business :“When lockdown happened everything closed and people developed a taste for high quality bread - and our trade went up. Our bread is fresh every day and we bake every night. This week we are offering rhubarb crumble cake - it has a crumble top and rhubarb filling . I’m still developing it as I’m a perfectionist..We don’t copy anyone - we are both old fashioned and very modern and that’s what’s created the interest. "

Trainee manager Scott Bagnell is  equally enthusiastic: “We are family-friendly and give all our customers a pleasant experience when they pop in the door. We take a professional approach but like to get to know our customers and know many by their first name. We offer a delivery service and have got to know many customers in our local community.

We also have a good relationship with other businesses on the high street and deliver food items such as sandwiches to them as well as to homes for the elderly. Our delivery driver is so polite and friendly and , whilst keeping his distance, he will chat with customers and make sure they are all happy. We have lots of customers who are self-isolating and having us deliver to them often multiple times a week has helped keep them going.”

Additional products such as milk, butter, ham and assorted cheeses are now delivered in addition to the cakes, breads and savouries.

More recently they have been experimenting with new vegan recipes and they offer delicious vegan cakes and bread too.

For deliveries/collections  email shelleysbakery@hotmail.com or telephone 01425 273888 or see their Facebook page.

The shop is open from 7am until 4 pm Monday to Saturday. Deliveries are from 10am-12 noon.