Bakery chain shuts trio of stores

Well-known bakery chain Birds has closed three stores in Derby and Nottingham.

The Derby branches in Iron Gate, in the city centre, and Walbrook Road, Normanton, will not be reopening, along with its store in The Poultry in Nottingham city centre following the opening of a larger store in Lister Gate last year.

Birds, which has 60 stores across the East Midlands and employs 800 people, say the closures had been planned for many months in the run up to lease renewals.

Birds confirmed that 16 people have been redeployed to the company’s other stores and that a “very small number of staff” are seeking voluntary redundancy.

“All staff are being communicated with and this is ongoing, as is the consultation process,” the company said.

Bosses at the bakery chain say they are still investing in their other stores and will be carrying out refits as well as providing new equipment at its Derby-based bakery.

Lesley Bird, director and COO at Birds, said: “Our tiny shop at The Poultry in Nottingham was always planned for closure – given that we opened a much larger, more modern shop in Lister Gate.

“We still have two shops operating in Nottingham city centre for our customers. In Derby, the Birds’ Irongate store has closed because it has reached the end of its lease. Birds in Walbrook Road has also been closed since lockdown and has not reopened due to the lease also coming to an end.”

Instead of extending one of these leases, Birds instead extended its Crown Walk store, Derby in January.

“The Irongate store needed a major refit but as the lease was coming to an end, we felt the time was right to close it.  We have redeployed staff and are currently speaking to those who may want to take voluntary redundancy,” added Bird.

“Birds is proud that it only closed for a very short period during lockdown before we opened our stores again – with tight safety procedures in place. All three stores didn’t re-open following lockdown.

“We have worked closely with our teams, are speaking to staff regularly, and have moved a number of our staff to other stores.

“The changes we have made have been planned for some time. While we have three stores affected by lease renewals, we still looking at refits to other stores. We are still investing heavily in our bakery and retail outlets.

“We now have two remaining stores in Derby city centre – Albert Street, and Crown Walk, and of course bakery shop in Ascot Drive where our customers can get our freshly baked goods.”

At the start of lockdown, Birds introduced its click and collect and home delivery services and these are still operating.

Birds was founded in 1919 by three brothers.