A FONDLY-remembered bakery from four decades ago is making a comeback, with three generations of a family at the helm.

The first Cottage Loaf Bakery opened in Castle Lane, Bournemouth, in 1973. Owner Terry McCauley went on to open another five shops in Moordown, Winton, Northbourne, Kinson, Poole, and another two in Charminster.

The bakeries closed in the mid-1990s, but one has recently been revived in Moordown by Terry’s son, Martyn, who wants to see a resurgence of the traditional bakery in the high street.

Helping him run the new shop, which opened last Wednesday, is his wife, Lisa, mother, Maureen, and two children, Kelly, 14, and Matt, 17.

As the bakery’s name suggests, the McCauley’s speciality is the cottage loaf. Martyn said one local customer used to buy this particular loaf every Saturday.

“Not many bakers do this loaf so this gentleman couldn’t wait for us to open as he hasn’t had a cottage loaf since we shut down in the 90s. He used to get one every Saturday, and he’s verbally ordered a cottage loaf for every Saturday morning now.

“I grew up with the bakery industry behind me,” he continued.

“From a very early age, I used to get up on a Saturday morning and help my dad make the bread.

“We lived in the flat above the Castle Lane shop, but the main bakery was at Ensbury Park.

“When dad closed down, we all went our separate ways. I went into security, then re-trained as an electrician.

“We’ve been talking about bringing the traditional bakery back for the last six years. When I was growing up, Winton and Moordown was a thriving high street, but then your butchers and bakers started to disappear.

“I think they’re making a comeback now, and the high street is starting to turn around.”

As well as the cottage loaf, Martyn bakes a variety of breads daily on the premises including white and wholemeal loaves, rolls, bloomers, split tins, farmhouse loaves, and speciality breads.

He also produces a range of other traditional bakery fare, such as iced fingers, buns, doughnuts, and gingerbread men.

“Everything is made by these hands,” Martyn said, adding: “I want to see the return of the high street so, if the interest is there, we’d like to see the business grow and open a bigger bakery and shop in a couple of years’ time.”