Gregory's Cake Shop on Abbeydale Road

[Floridablade]

The original Bakewell pudding shop in Bakewell isn't nearly as good as what the later versions became, tarts. The custards were my favourites and of course Sheffield is, among other things famous for them.

[neil memmott]

Floridablade, that's another thing Gregory's were marvelled for, their custards were out of this world, what was the brown stuff on top of the custard, nutmeg or something, anyway, they didn't last long once you sunk your teeth into them.

 

regards

neil memmott

[Deebles]

Hi again Helbco,

 

Yes the iced bakewells were my father's favourite too, who is Mr Kipling?:-)

 

regards

 

Introducing 'Mr Kipling'!

 

http://www.mrkipling.co.uk/

[neil memmott]

Nice one Deebles

[helbco]

don't forget the vanilla slices - have yet to find one as good!

 

Together with the ice tarts and the custard tarts - that's all my Grandma and Auntie ever bought, so don't even know what else they sold.

 

Does the new Italian shop still sell the ice tarts?

[Stenner]

Hi

 

I worked at Gregory's on Chesterfield Road for a short time when the kids were young until we moved away from Thirlwell Road in the mid 70's. Someone called Anne was in charge - although there had been another older lady there when I first went to the shop (having a senior moment and can't recall names very well ).

 

Living just round the corner from the bakery was wonderful, we got all the fabulous bakery smells every day.

 

I've still never found any other bakery make stuff like they did ALL their cakes were fantastic - I'd hate to have to choose between them!!

 

Aaah such memories of wonderful food

 

Stenner

[neil memmott]

Hi Stenner,

Ann at Greg's as we used to call it was a very nice person, wore rimless specks if I recall rightly. The older lady was Miss Lidster, she'd been there for years, she lived up Petre Street somewhere, I can remember Mom, brother Derek and me going up there when we were very young, I cannot remember why, it was a long time ago.

There's nothing like the smell of 1) Fish & Chips, 2) Bacon frying and above all 3) Fresh bread beeing baked, especially Gregs.

[helbco]

did Gregory's bake bread as well?- wasn't aware of that!

 

So did the recipes go with the sale of the business - ie do the Italians still sell the same products? If not, then someone in the Gregory family is sitting on a goldmine!

[neil memmott]

They certainly did bake bread and it was as good as you'd expect.

 

As for the Italians they are newcomers. Gregorys as well as I remember retired and sold the business to a family called Barkers who owned it for a number of years. I'm not sure that the Gregories had any family, I don't remember anyone so I assume (rightly or wrongly) that the Barkers had the benefit of the recipes and then, perhaps if the Barkers were already established bakers they could well have had their own idea of how to bake. We may never know but I can see where you're coming from.

 

regards

[neil memmott]

Helbco, here's one for you.

 

Gregory's bake house was in London Road behind their main shop. Not only did they make fine bread but also breadcakes that were so out of this world I'm drooling as I type. Now then next door to Gregs was the finest pork butcher ever to grace Heeley, Mr Philips. Get some of Philips roast pork on a Gregorys breadcake and you were in heaven. Another thing about old man Philips, when you walked out of his shop, you felt as though you'd been served properly, his missus was the same and so was his son Walter.

He always used to say he was a copper or two more expensive than the rest but you got the best. Testomony to that was the queue up towards the Red Lion on a Saturday morning.