Oddies the family craft bakery based in Nelson are expanding their empire of shops with an additional outlet on New Market Street in Blackburn Town Centre.
Councillor Maureen Bateson, Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “I am delighted that Oddies has decided to expand its business in Blackburn. It is opening a new store in the town centre as well as their stall on Blackburn market. They have been in business in East Lancashire for more than 100 years and will be popular with shoppers and visitors.”
Taking on a property that has been renovated by the Council, Oddies are hoping to increase their share of trade in the town by opening this additional Blackburn Shop and by tempting people with their freshly baked range of pastries and pies alongside freshly made sandwiches and breakfast baps.
“Oddies is quite unusual” explains Bill Oddie, current Managing Director of the firm, “because we don’t have a night shift – everything is made fresh on the day and then delivered to our shops within 2 hours of leaving the ovens at the bakery in Nelson. I believe that by doing things this way our customers are getting the freshest products in town!”
Oddies are keen to capitalise on the lunchtime trade from town centre based workers and will be offering a selection of sandwich platters for lunchtime meetings or training sessions as well as their traditional range of bread and flour confectionery.
Oddies bakery was started in 1905 from very small shop premises at Primet Bridge Colne by William Oddie and his Wife Jane Dean. Since that time the business has grown slowly but steadily so that today with this new shop in Blackburn they have 16 retail outlets stretching across East Lancashire from Colne through Nelson to Burnley, Accrington, Padiham and on to Todmorden. The current Management Team is still led by the Oddie Family – Father and Daughter duo Bill and Lara – the grandson and great granddaughter of the founder respectively. Although times may have changed the ethos behind this business remains true to the vision of the founder – to continue to use the craft skills of the bakers to provide good quality fresh products to the people of East Lancashire – you could say it’s a local tradition because everyone appreciates the taste of fine quality baking!
