Slattery

General information

The Slattery Story....
The business started in 1967, by Bernard and Margaret Slattery.
Bernard had started his working life as a page boy at the Mayfair cinema, Whitefield. He was still a teenager when he was called up to join the RAF to serve in the Middle East desert campaign as a gunner. With his hearing damaged, he moved to the cook house and bakery and after war went to work with the shipping company Manchester Liners, baking fresh bread and cakes whilst travelling from Salford docks to Montreal, a round trip often taking a month at a time. Between trips Bernard often went to what was then Salford Technical college to do his formal City and Guilds qualifications in bread and flour confectionery. After qualifying, he went on to gain experience at various bakeries in the area including Bury Co-op, as well as several family businesses.

Bernard and Margaret were married in 1950, their son John was born in 1953, and their daughter Ann in 1959.
The original bakery that Margaret and Bernard opened on the 30th June 1967 was in Cleveland Road, Crumpsall, along with a small shop on Marlborough road, Higher Broughton. Margaret took on the running of the shops and the accounts for the business.
John was 14 when the family went into business and would help in the bakery after school and at weekends. At 16 he went to Salford College to formally train in baking and confectionery and spent time in Switzerland and Europe gaining further qualification and experience.
Ann also attended the college a few years later and met husband-to-be Stephen Barnes, who also joined the family firm after gaining his qualifications.

The business grew in reputation and size, with another shop opening in Salford. This was replaced in 1979 by one in Prestwich which remained open until the mid 1980s. During those years the business won many accolades in the national bakery competitions, with John, Ann and Steve taking on all comers to win the UK Bakers of the Year award, four years in row.

As the bakery flourished so did the family. John married Marilyn and had daughters Kate in 1978 and Laura in 1980. Ann and Steve married and had 3 children, Sarah in 1982, Anthony in 1984 and Joanne in 1986.

In 1991 Bernard and Margaret retired and Ann, Steve and John looked set to take over the business. However growing families to support it was decided that expansion was required. Ann and Steve took over the running of the bakery in Crumpsall, whilst John opened a new business in Whitefield at 156 Bury New Road, where he concentrated on the "sweeter things in life".
John's passions and expertise always lay in the confectionery side of the business and this new branch to the family business concentrated on producing hand-made chocolates, gateaux and desserts alongside birthday, wedding and celebration cakes. This new business and the old original bakery worked very closely, producing the majority of baked products for the Whitefield store.

As John's reputation spread and with a truly unique award winning enterprise, the business quickly out-grew the original premises and moved up the road to 190 Bury New Road. Within 2 years of moving, further space was need again and the purchase and conversion of the house next door provided this space.
By this point John's eldest daughter Kate has joined the business, working both at the Crumpsall bakery and then at the Whitefield branch after studying catering at college. Laura, who had worked in the shop since the age of 14 at weekends and on school holidays, joined the business on a full time basis in 2002, after completing a degree in Business Studies at Nottingham Trent University.
With John safe in the knowledge that the business would continue into the next generation of Slattery's, the decision was taken to greatly expand in 2004, but true to form, not very far.
Sights had been set on a local landmark, the neglected 100 year old Masons Arms Public House. Located just opposite the current business, it was the perfect opportunity to develop and grow the business, without losing customers by moving very far. The former pub was completely derelict and the move from one side of the road to the other took place!
This new building was able to house a stunning wedding cake show room, elegant dining room and the 'Slattery School of Excellence'. This unique training facility provides courses and demonstrations for both the trade and the general public, covering everything from chocolate, sugar modelling, cake creation to cookery and wine tasting.

Ann & Steve's children later joined the business with Sarah becoming a talented and skilled member of the cake decorating team in 2004 producing wedding and celebration cakes. Anthony joined as admin support in 2003 and has risen to the role of shop manager and Joanne after working weekends for many years, joined on a full time basis in 2014 taking on the role as digital marketing and web development. Kate also took on a new role within the school, supporting the course tutor in 2008.

There have been minor changes to the business over the years since moving to the new site, however 2012 saw a year of major change and building work. The family got together and decided the best thing for the future of the company would be to re-unite the two business. By bringing the Crumpsall bakery and the Whitefield business together, it would be logistically easier and also make succession planning for the future simpler too.

After the decision to unite the two sites of the business was taken, the family looked at feasibility of moving to a new site to offer a fresh start to the business and combat the problems of limited parking that the current Whitefield site suffers from. It was important that a new site would still be located in a local area and close to the motorway and main road that link Bury and Manchester. Several options were viewed and despite the best attempts to secure a suitable site it was not to be.

It was decided that after all avenues were explored, the next best option would be to modify the current site in order to accommodate the bakery and extend working areas that were struggling for space. To make this happen an extensive six stage building and refurbishment programme was undertaken, over the space of 2 years, starting in November 2011.

This involved firstly building a two storey extension (1200sq. feet) to the left side of the building. This houses a new large walk in freezer on the ground floor, to cope with the extra requirements of storage from the bakery. It also is home to an extended loading bay and storage area. Above it a new new, more luxurious toilet block was added.
By knocking through the old toilets and in the conference room that was next to it, the space for the new 1,100sq feet bakery was created - housing 2 large deck ovens, a retarder-prover, walk in fridge and freezers and all bakery equipment that was originally in the Crumpsall bakery.
Thirdly a new 1000sq. feet kitchen was built on what was once an outside terrace space, which did not get used to its full potential due to the unpredictable Manchester weather!
A further building stage involved incorporating the area that was once the old kitchen into the dining room - providing an additional 40 seats, a new bar and waiting area and allowing the complete refurbishment of the dining room adding booth seating, new flooring, new tables and chairs and full redecoration.

To the right of the building, adjacent to the car park the fifth and sixth stage of building have been completed. A single storey extension, with feature Apex roof houses a new doubled-size chocolate room complete with viewing windows from the shop and wedding show room area, completed in September 2013 has transformed the look of the ground floor and is the final step in the complete renovation of the business.

With 8 immediate family members and 3 members of extended family working together on the same site, Slattery is now in its third generation. 2 members of the next generation are already keen to join the business when old enough, so the business looks safe to continue to a 4th generation in the not so distant future!

Competition T&C's - all competitions are run by Slattery Ltd the promotions are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
All prizes are to be collected or redeemed from Slattery, Whitefield. There are no cash or prize alternatives to the prize offered. If winners do not contact within 48 hours of announcement, an alternative winner will be selected.
50th Birthday daily prizes will be run on our normal operating days.