Over the last two years, we have met with a wide array of our loyal customers, but none quite as fresh on the scene as Paul Hickes of The Tramway Bakery. Having just opened this Spring, Tramway are making their mark with a promisingly modern approach; a varied, upmarket offering of from-scratch bakery and a focus on capturing both tourist and working lunchtime trade.
PH: We're a brand-new bakery, located in the heart of Blackpool, next to a new tramway that has recently opened. Hence the name, The Tramway!
My husband David and I opened the bakery and we have been open for just 10 weeks. It was a very old and rundown shop, when we bought it, so we had to gut it and refurbish it completely. Upstairs is the bakery and downstairs are the shop floor and takeaway, with no eat-in capacity. We also don’t make bread, but we do buy in local breads, from local suppliers.
PH: We’re extremely busy! It's been non-stop from when we first opened, and we already have repeat customers who come in daily. We are looking at doing some wholesale offerings to hotels but as there is only myself, my husband and one part time employee, finding the time to branch out, is tricky.
PH: I've been working in bakeries for over 40 years, since I was 14 years old. My first Saturday job, whilst I was still at school, was in a bakery, and when I left school they offered me a full-time job.
I worked there for 10 years before moving from London, to Blackpool. I carried on working for bakeries by the seaside before taking a position at Blackpool College, teaching bakery to students with learning difficulties.
Some years later my mother sadly passed away and I decided to use the inheritance money to buy my own bakery and to start my own business. My mum loved cakes so I know she would have been happy for me and proud of me too.
PH: We sell traditional products like brownies, almond slides coconut slices, cornflake cakes and other retro products. I think the retro confectionary are becoming increasingly popular and I enjoy making products that make our customer smile!
We have a large sandwich counter, where we sell freshly made sandwiches, paninis and bagels. We also sell a range of pies.
PH: In the 10-weeks since we opened our best sellers have been our fresh cream cakes, the brownies and cookies. The school cake is our very best seller. This is a white sponge cake with white icing and sprinkles on top.
Our best-selling sandwiches are the tuna melt, the seafood sandwich and the chickpea curry, and our most popular pie is the breakfast pie, that I created.
We think our signature bake will likely be brownies and cookie products, especially our giant cookies, cookie pies and cookie sandwiches. They all sell out quickly so we would like to be known for our cookies.
“I think the retro confectionery are becoming increasingly popular and I enjoy making products that make our customer smile!”
PH: My husband looks after the social media. As soon as I have baked something, its posted on Facebook! It is very good for the business though and certainly brings customers in.
PH: Be original and do it from your heart. You don't need to go for the most expensive products and try as much as you can to make everything yourself, rather than buy things in.
PH: We are already looking to expand and are looking for another premises, one where customers can sit in and where the bakery is on the same floor as currently our bakery is upstairs- so it’s not ideal.
We're always looking at new product concepts too. The latest is to create cookies, shortbread and biscuits in the shapes of bucket and spades and other seaside creations like ice cream cones. These kind of products appeal to the tourists visiting Blackpool.
PH: It’s great. Our sales rep comes to see us every couple of weeks, our deliveries are on time, and we can always access the products we need. So it’s really working for us.
Right to left: BAKO Area Sales Manager Steve Seymour, The Tramway team; Mica Cook, Paul Hickes, Bethany Cuthbertson & BAKO Trade Marketing Executive Peter Green
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