Historic Rossendale bakery put on market at £350k guide price

An historic bakery in the Rossendale village of Crawshawbooth has been put on the market by its proprietors.

Caroline and Paul France have asked Blacks Business Brokers to find a new owner for The Cottage Bakery on Burnley Road, with a guide price of £349,950 to take over the freehold.

Mr and Mrs France themselves took the bakery over in 1997 and operated it successfully until November 2020, when they were sadly forced to close as a result of ill-health. They now wish to sell the premises in order to retire.

The property for sale, which has housed a bakery for 100 years, also includes a shop next door which is currently used for storage by a tenant. A large two-bedroom flat spanning the footprint of both retail properties is located on the first floor and to the rear of the property is an enclosed yard.

The bakery is fully equipped, with all fixtures and fittings included in the sale.

The servery area at the front has a traditional, cottage bakery décor which, according to Mrs France, has been retained at the request of customers who enjoy its retro ambience.

Until closing last November the Cottage Bakery made all of its products onsite, by hand. A number of its recipes, including those for its popular pies and custard tarts, were passed down from the previous owners, and can be made available to whoever purchases the business.

In its last full year of trading the business achieved turnover of almost £120,000, based on limited opening hours. According to Mrs France a new owner could significantly boost takings by opening full time, introducing new product lines including hot sandwiches, or even knocking through into the shop next door and converting it into a café area.

She also pointed out that new housing developments in the village will increase the number of local potential customers: “A good artisan bakery would really fly here,” she said.

Crawshawbooth, which is located to the north of Rawtenstall in Rossendale, is home to the Grade II-listed Crawshaw Hall and one of the world’s oldest Quaker Meeting Houses. Well known residents include the comedian Ted Robbins.

John Gaskell, director at Blacks Business Brokers, which has its headquarters in nearby Bury, said: “This is a turnkey business that a new owner could reopen from day one, and there is real local demand for a bakery that has been at the heart of village life for the past century to start serving customers again.

“The property itself has huge potential, with the retail unit next door able either to provide a rental income or to be incorporated into the bakery to enable the business to expand. The well maintained flat upstairs could either be used as owner’s accommodation, as it currently is, or be let out to provide a further income stream.

“Crawshawbooth is a popular, affluent village that is home to a number of complementary businesses. As we move into a ‘new normal’, with more former commuters enjoying flexible working permanently, local demand for high quality baked goods and prepared lunches will be greater than ever, and the Cottage Bakery is perfectly positioned to capitalise on this.”