A family-run, three-generation bakery on the Isle of Wight has been shortlisted for two prestigious national awards.
Grace’s Bakery, based in Ryde has made the shortlist of retailers in the running to be named Britain’s Best Small Shop 2020.
The annual competition celebrates the commitment and creativity of independent retailers and the vital role they play in the community.
The bakery has also been shortlisted for an award recognising independent retailers that have demonstrated specific innovation in response to the pandemic.
During which, the team were delivering baked goods and essentials to around 250 homes a day, across the Isle of Wight.
Prior to the pandemic, Grace’s Bakery was also supplying sandwiches for the cafes at St Mary’s Hospital.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust then asked the bakery to provide sandwiches for the patients and staff during the coronavirus crisis. It was producing nearly 1,000 sandwiches a day.
Marketing Manager Sarah and daughter of the founder’s of the bakery, told Isle of Wight Radio:
“In the first week of lockdown, we had to completely change tact with our business. We rearranged almost everything we do in order to provide a new home delivery service - we had never done this before and never even had a proper website before this.
“Within a week my Brother Daniel created a whole new website and within the first hour of it operating it crashed - because of the sheer amount of people that were trying to shop with us.
“Part of the reason why we started doing it was because of the bread and flour shortage that everyone was experiencing, it was something we were able to provide the community with - at the time when people were struggling to get the essentials they needed”.
In response to the news that the Island will be forced into a second national lockdown, Sarah says they will be “preparing for more home deliveries”.
She added:
“I just want to say - we as a family are so grateful for all the support we have had from the customers, it has been really really heart-warming.
“I think we are lucky on the Island that we have a really good community around us and the support we have had is really nice - so we would just like to say thank you.”
The bakery has been operating for over 23 years and the Redrup family continue to run the Island-based business.
Islanders cannot vote for the business to win the awards however we are being urged to ‘share’ the news on Facebook.
The winners will be announced before 2021.
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