Popular bakery to close after 41 years
By Connor Steel
A POPULAR bakery business in Gosport will close its doors to the general public and loyal customers this weekend after serving the community for over four decades; with the news confirmed in a printed announcement that was placed in their windows and further shared by residents on social media last week.
Rowner Bakery was opened in 1981 by current owners Lyn and Dave, with the store becoming a mainstay of Beauchamp Avenue over the generations; taking advantage of its position between One Stop and Silver Palace takeaway. Main products include fresh bread, rolls, biscuits, lunches, cakes, and other sweet treats.
The business furthermore produced commissions on cakes or food for special events such as birthdays and weddings, as well as proving its worth to the community during the Covid-19 lockdowns. In this time the bakery remained open throughout and offered delivery services to those self-isolating or the most vulnerable.
The store closure is down to the retirement of the owners, with the last trading day being June 18 (Saturday) according to two handmade posters either side of the entrance reading: “We have decided it is time for us to retire. Thank you for your support the last 41 years. Our last day trading will be Saturday 18 June”.
Photographs of the posters were shared on social media, with many expressing their best wishes to the retiring owners and sadness. One user posted: “Oh No I’m sure this is a shock to a lot of Gosport folk. Best cake shop around. Now time to relax & enjoy your Retirement Lynn & Dave you will both be so missed. Good luck to you both & a big big thank you to you both xxx”
Another said: “Enjoy your retirement you deserve to great family service. Thank you, always popping in for a torpedo breakfast bap” And one social media user furthermore summed up the general feeling commenting: “Enjoy your well deserved retirement. A special thank you to you and your family not just for supplying the best bread in Gosport, also for your care and support during lock downs, family crises and celebrations.”
A Globe reader added: “That bakery has been a stalwart of my childhood with my family, going on trips to the beach and getting a gingerbread man or three before catching the bus. Lynn and Dave will be sadly missed, but it does show that a bakery in this area is a brilliant idea and hope it continues for many years”.
At the time of writing it is unknown what will happen to the vacant store once the bakery closes its doors to the public on Saturday evening, or whether anybody has brought the site from the retiring owners.
PICTURED BY ROWNER BAKERY: Selection of sweet treats and cakes on offer at store, which will close on June 18 as the owners retire after forty-one years of serving the local community.
