Happy Birthday Pastry Case

The smell of Gingerbread drifts across the car park at Roberts Bakery and it is hard to imagine that it hasn't always been so, however, stepping back in time 20 years some of the first products were just leaving The pastry Case after its opening in August 1988. This summer the youngest part of the Frank Roberts and Sons group celebrated its 20th Birthday and we have taken a look back at all that has been achieved with some of its original staff.

Many of the longest serving staff in the Pastry Case now work on the decorating lines, seeing hundreds of designs painstakingly iced by hand leave us and head for the supermarkets each year; but in the beginning things were very different. All staff were personally interviewed by Vivien Roberts and one of the first tests was turning a cream horn, quite a skill and not nearly as easy as it looked! When The Pastry Case opened it quickly became one of the largest suppliers of ambient puff pastry in the country, producing hundreds of cream horns, crystal shells and eclair cases.

The staff talk of learning quickly and working hard but they only have good things to say about the management team, (some of whom started around the same time they did) and the 'all hands on deck' culture that works so well. Lasting friendships have been formed in the bakery and everyone is willing to share entertaining tails of high days and holidays.

The Pastry Case has seen many changes during the last twenty years; the introduction of gingerbread in 1992 and hand decorated biscuits followed by ever increasing demand with products sold to all the major UK supermarket chains. 2006 saw massive extension work and the installation of the Chocolate Cluster plant. It is undisputed that The pastry Case has definitely moved with the times, investment in new product development has ensured this. The fact that the staff have too is a testament to the strong sense of team spirit and comradery that they obviously share.

The first 20 years have laid solid foundations for the Pastry Case, here's to 20 more.

Happy Birthday!