They run wholesale bakery Express Bakery in Dumfries, which was started by their father in 1971. And they are currently run off their feet.
Stanley said: “We are still baking every day, seven days a week. “It has not been easy with lots of our usual customers closed but we felt we had to stay open to supply the NHS, who we have supplied for over 20 years along with our lifeline retailers; Tesco, Co-op, Spar, numerous fantastic local retailers and the local council who are doing food boxes for vulnerable groups in the community.”
his week they supplied over 3000 loaves and 3000 packets of rolls to Dumfries and Galloway Council for distribution to the children who normally get free meals and the vulnerable members of the community. Stanley added: “The council are doing great work in the community keeping these groups fed. We are also donating bread to a local organisation distributing food in Lochside and Lincluden in Dumfries providing meals for the housebound and elderly.
“A lot of the local shops we supply are very busy as people avoid the big supermarkets. Hopefully that may continue after lockdown. To some of the outlying communities we are really a lifeline service delivering fresh rolls and bread every day.”
Express were also donated ingredients by their suppliers, Ireks, so they could make bread to be distributed free to essential workers and the move has been well received by NHS staff and others. Stanley said: “I think it’s important to try and keep things as normal as possible for people. I think if they know the local bakers are still working and they still get their rolls and tattie scones, it keeps the sense of some normality. I think people appreciate what we are doing. None of this would happen without the great team we have in the business who are putting in great work in difficult circumstances. They are a real credit to the bakery industry.”
