In the summer of 2008, on hearing that the long-standing Smith’s family bakery was going to close due to retirement, a group of people came together to plan how we could ensure that we continued to have a bakery baking and selling bread on Dunbar High Street. Sustaining Dunbar, our local community development trust, funded market research to investigate the demand for fresh bread in the town. It showed there was still strong demand for a bakery selling high quality bread and cakes made on the premises. Sustaining Dunbar then helped prepare a three-year business plan for reopening the former Smith’s Bakery as a sustainable community-run enterprise.
In June 2009, Dunbar Community Bakery Limited was officially registered as a community co-operative. In early July a community share issue was launched and by the end of August 160 people had bought shares, contributing £17,600 in equity investment. A Management Committee was appointed from the membership in late August to take forward the setting up and running of the bakery. It includes local entrepreneurs and experts in finance, small business, communications, marketing and community development.
Unfortunately it eventually didn’t prove possible to agree a satisfactory long lease, or purchase, of the Smith’s premises and the committee was forced to seek alternative premises.
After a frustrating delay, the Community Bakery eventually, in Autumn 2010, signed a lease on 60 High St., the former Knox’s newsagent. Chalmers and Co. from Haddington were appointed to provide architectural services and a planning application for conversion to a bakery was lodged. By the time all the necessary permissions, including Listed Building Consent, were in place and further finance had been raised, it was the Summer of 2011 before building work was able to commence.
Shareholders have been remarkably understanding and supportive during this time and the business in now owned by over 300 people who have invested more than £40,000. We are delighted that the conversion work and fit-out has now been completed, a staff team have been recruited and the bakery opened for business on Thursday 6th October 2011.
