British bakery chain shuts ALL its stores after being run by same family for 7 decades as ‘no one wants to take it over'
ANOTHER BITES THE CRUST British bakery chain shuts ALL its stores after being run by same family for 7 decades as 'no one wants to take it over'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A BELOVED British bakery chain has been forced to shut all of its stores after seven decades.
The family-run business has announced the closure after failing to find someone to "take it over".
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
Bennetts Family Bakers last locations closed on Saturday
Credit: Google
Bennetts Family Bakers closed all of its branches for good on Saturday.
Bennetts has built a strong local following thanks to its freshly baked bread, pastries, and traditional cakes.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
The bakery chain opened in 1951 and has been operated by three generations of the same family.
But Mrs Margaret Bennet and her son David explained that there was no one to continue the legacy.
David, the company's director, previously told the Daily Echo he was struggling to run the business while caring for his elderly mother, who is seriously ill.
He said: 'We've had an incredibly loyal customer base, and I'm truly thankful for the support we've had over the years.'
David, who is over the retirement age, also has to deal with personal health issues.
The family told Bournemouth Echo: "Our family-owned business had no choice Mrs Margaret Bennett is now in a home, and her son, David Bennett is over retirement age and has his own health problems, with no-one wanting to take over, or it being viable to keep going.
"It has been run by three generations of the family, opening in 1951."
The statement continued: "A big thank you to all our loyal staff and customers."
Costa Coffee Shuts Whitstable Branch: What Shop Closures Mean for UK High Streets
ALL BRANCHES CLOSED NOW
The bakery's locations in Winton, Southbourne and Parkstone bid goodbye to the customers for the final time on July 5.
The closure follows the earlier loss of their Westbourne, Broadstone and Wimborne branches in June.
A heartfelt note taped to the Broadstone shop window explained the difficult decision.
'It is with great sadness that this shop will be closing on the 14th of June,' it read.
'It has been a pleasure serving the Broadstone community over the years.
'This has come about because of staff shortages and illness in the family.
'I would like to thank everybody for their support.'
COMMUNITY REACTION
Many in the community were saddened to hear the news.
One regular customer said: 'It's such a shame. You could always count on Bennetts for quality and friendly service. They'll be missed.'
Another added: 'It's a real blow for the high street.
"There aren't many proper family bakeries left these days.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Dragon's Den star stripped of MBE after judge slams high-flyer as ‘selfish & untrustworthy' over £200k in unpaid bills
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER Dragon's Den star has been stripped of her MBE after refusing to pay £200,000 in legal fees. Julie Meyer was slammed by a judge for being "selfish" after she failed to pay her lawyers or attend court hearings. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Julie Meyer from Dragons Den Online 4 Julie starred on Dragon's Den online in 2009 Credit: BBC 4 Julie Meyer on Dragon's den Online Credit: BBC In 2022, the 58-year-old venture capitalist became embroiled in a legal row with law firm Farrers & Co. She claimed she had received a poor service and refused to pay £197,000 after they represented her during a case in Malta. An arrest warrant was issued for the entrepreneur after she failed to turn up to court and provide documents for the case. Meyer claimed she was unable to travel from Switzerland as she was suffering with conjunctivitis and didn't have a Covid vaccine. But it was decided her reasoning was insufficient to avoid attending hearings in person. Meyer was later slapped with a six-month sentence after she was ruled to be in contempt of court. And last night, the Cabinet Office revealed that the businesswoman had been stripped of her MBE. Her name appeared on a recently updated list of shamed individuals who have forfeited their honours since 2023. Disgraced former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells also features on the list, after she was formally stripped of her CBE by the King. She had already committed to relinquish the gong following fury at her role in the Horizon postmaster scandal. The document said that Meyer's gong had been taken away after she brought "the honours system into disrepute". She was awarded the MBE in 2012 for services to entrepreneurship. Sara Davies breaks silence on shock Dragon's Den exit as star says she struggled to 'juggle' her busy career Meyer was chosen to star on the online version of Dragon's Den in 2009. After her appearance on the BBC Two show, she was appointed as David Cameron's Government a year later. She has previously supported huge tech brands such as and Skype. Handing her the six-month suspended sentence three years ago, Mr Justice Kerr slammed Meyer as "selfish and untrustworthy". He added: "I am satisfied there is every prospect that the defendant will continue to flout orders of the court unless coerced into obeying them." Later the same year, Meyer lost an appeal to overturn her suspended prison sentence. Three disgraced former submarine captains were also stripped of their OBEs by the King. Top brass urged ministers to withdraw the prestigious gongs from the trio over sex and bullying scandals. One had made an X-rated film on HMS Victorious and a second, nominated for an OBE during his misconduct probe, licked a female officer's ear, blew on her neck and punched her on HMS Vigilant. The third was found guilty of bullying on nuclear-powered attack sub HMS Trenchant. All three were commanders — James Bond's rank — and led crews of more than 130. The Navy asked the Cabinet Office Forfeiture Committee to strip the men of their awards and King Charles gave final approval. Last year, Grime artist Wiley was stripped of his MBE after he posted anti-Semitic comments on social media. In 2020, he made a string of shocking comments on Twitter, branding Jewish people "too touchy," and saying Israel "is not yours." The Met confirmed they were investigating the tweets after he was dropped by his manager and banned from the website.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s
Find out how crooks go about gaining your trust SCAM ALERT Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCAMMERS are preying on desperate job hunters struggling to find work as unemployment rockets to a four-year high. With figures showing the unemployment rate at 4.7 per cent, those scrambling for work have become prime targets for fraudsters. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Criminals are posing as recruiters to trick victims into handing over money or personal financial information. Lloyds Bank has reported a 237 per cent rise in job scams this year, with victims losing £1,420 on average. Mark Sitton, from TPF Recruitment, says: 'The current economic climate and rising unemployment has created the perfect environment for fraudsters to thrive in and carry out job scams.' Blathnaid Corless explains what to look out for . . . HOW THEY GET YOU THERE are lots of different scams to watch out for. You may get an unexpected text, email, call, WhatsApp or message on social media from fake agents offering flexible roles. They come with pay cheques of up to £1,000 a day, says Mark. His company has seen a spike in con artists pretending to be recruiters from the firm. Mark says: 'They will lead the victim through a seemingly legitimate recruitment process, which may include video interviews, requests for references and even fake offer letters, all of which create the illusion of credibility.' To gain your trust, crooks may even pay you a small fee for accepting the job offer. AI tricks to beat scammers as scam texts, calls and emails surge 'However, the real intention is to extract sensitive personal and financial information,' says Mark. Be wary if you are asked for personal details, such as your full name, address, date of birth and copies of your passport or driver's licence, as well as your National Insurance number, which can all be used to commit identity fraud. They may ask for your bank details in order to process your pay, but in reality, they are doing everything they can to get their hands on your cash. Some fake job ads have dodgy links that take you to websites designed to steal your logins or put viruses on your computer, says HSBC head of fraud David Callington. Sophisticated scammers will also create fake websites to draw you into the con. Victims will be shown an 'earnings dashboard' and told to pay a fee to unlock higher-paying tasks, Mark adds. As victims complete more tasks, they will see their 'earnings' rise on the dashboard and will be more inclined to pay in more money to level up to higher-paid tasks — but of course, it is all fake. Similarly, you may be told to sign up for a certain type of crypto wallet, which the fraudsters will secretly have access to. You will be told your pay will be sent to the wallet but that you need to put money into it first before you can do the work tasks. Then the scammers swipe the money. Victims may be asked to pay the company for computers or other tech needed as part of the job. And beware of the 'overpayment trick', David warns. 'Scammers will send you a cheque that is more than your 'salary' and ask you to send the difference back. 'Then their cheque bounces, and you're out of pocket.' THE RED FLAGS THERE are warning signs to watch out for if you have been approached by a recruiter. David Callington says: 'If a job offer seems too good to be true, pays higher than expected for little effort, asks for money upfront, or demands too much personal information too soon, be very, very suspicious.' 3 There are lots of different scams to watch out for A real recruiter would never ask you to pay them to secure a job, says Melissa Mhondoro, from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, as this would be a breach of industry laws. A recruiter does not need to know your date of birth, financial information or your National Insurance details. You would never be asked for your bank details before you have signed a contract. Check any documents and contact details, such as the recruiter's email address, for poor spelling and grammar. Beware if the recruiter's email address contains @yahoo or @hotmail, or if you have been added to unknown apps or group chats where you will be spammed with job ads. Stick to applying for jobs directly on company websites or on well-known, trusted job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed or Reed. If you think you have fallen for a fake job offer, you should stop talking to the 'agent' immediately. Take a note of their details and report it to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040, If you have handed over any money, tell your bank immediately. And scam-proof your phone by blocking unknown calls. BT INCREASES PRICE HIKE WATCH out for hefty mid-contract bill hikes if you are signing up for a new broad- band or mobile phone deal with BT, Plusnet or EE. BT, which owns the other two, has announced the three brands will increase their mid-contract price rises for broadband customers from £3 to £4 a month. 3 BT is set to increase their mid-contract price rises for broadband customers This affects new customers signing up for contracts any time from now. BT and EE customers will see the hike hit their bills on March 31 next year and again on March 31, 2027. Plusnet will roll out the higher charges to new customers signing up from Tuesday. For mobile plans, any BT, EE and Plusnet customers on Sim-only and Flex Pay plans will see their contracts rise by £2.50 in April. Bundled handset and airtime plan customers will face a £4 rise, also in April. Uswitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku described the changes as 'another pounding for consumers' wallets'. He added: 'BT's price updates have often set a precedent for other providers to follow suit. 'If this trend continues, the telecoms industry runs the risk of creating its own accelerated rate of inflation.' BT said in a statement said: 'We're focused on providing value and customer satisfaction, making new technologies available to our customers such as 5G standalone and WiFi 7.' BLATHNAID CORLESS LOVE AFFECTS PREMIUMS YOUR relationship status could be pushing up your car insurance by hundreds of pounds but there are ways to slash costs. Single drivers pay the most, at an average of £859 a year, according to data from MoneySuperMarket. 3 Your relationship status could be pushing up your car insurance But separated drivers are charged an average of £496 – £363 less. Marital status is a big factor insurers look at when assessing how risky you are. Single drivers are usually regarded as more risky to insure than married couples, who pay £799 on average for their annual premiums. Married couples have a reputation as financially stable and less accident-prone. Widowed motorists pay an average of £515, while those who are listed as a 'partner' pay £760. Making a simple tweak to your relationship status could save you hundreds of pounds – but don't lie, otherwise you could invalidate your insurance. For example, if you are no longer married, state 'divorced' instead of single, and save £349. Other ways to slash your premiums include parking in a garage instead of on the road. Pay annually, not monthly, otherwise you will be charged interest and pay more. If you don't have enough cash to pay upfront, consider using a zero per cent credit card, which charges no interest for a set period. SAM WALKER
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Rare KitKat bar spotted back on UK shelves as Sainsbury's shoppers fill trolleys with ‘brilliant' flavour
Shoppers express their excitement for brand new sweet treat CHOC SHOCK Rare KitKat bar spotted back on UK shelves as Sainsbury's shoppers fill trolleys with 'brilliant' flavour Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RARE KitKat bar has been spotted back on UK shelves by eagle-eyed shoppers. The unique bar has sent chocolate fans running to the supermarket to fill their trolleys with the "brilliant" new flavour. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The new KitKat flavour can be found in Sainsbury's This exciting sweet treat can be found in Sainsbury's for £1 a bar. The rare flavour goes by the name KitKat Chunky Funky and is Nestle's latest limited edition bar. The sought-after snack features a cocoa wafer in a marbled milk chocolate and white coating. Shoppers have been quick to express their excitement with one describing the chocolate as "absolutely brilliant." While another added: "Oh I need to get to the shop." KitKat isn't the only brand to recently launch a new flavour, as another popular confectionery brand has just released an all new caramel edition of their cult classic treat. Terry's have launched a chocolate caramel which is exclusive to the co-op for now. Shoppers in frenzy over cheapest Dubai chocolate arrival in major Irish store at just €1.79 Shoppers were also quick to spot two new chocolate bars on shop shelves last month. Cadbury's released a new Bournville dark chocolate which became an instant hit among nut fans. A spokesperson said: "We're excited to be introducing two delicious new flavours to our Cadbury Bournville range, Salted Caramel and Chopped Hazelnut. "We're excited to be introducing two delicious new flavours to our Cadbury Bournville range, Salted Caramel and Chopped Hazelnut." How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs... Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars. Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere. Websites like let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
