A Derbyshire bakery, which sells around 2,000 scones a week, has decided to give the traditional favourite a fresh lease of life this Autumn
Stacey’s Bakery is aiming to keep its traditionally baked scones modern and relevant by supplementing its plain, sultana, raspberry and cherry options with a new ‘Autumnal Scone’ that is now being trialled in its South Street shop.
This new wholemeal variant uses mixed peel, stem ginger and dates, with a light sugar crust on the top to add a little extra texture and sweetness – and David Stacey, Managing Director and Great Grandson of the bakery’s original founder, is confident that it will do well.
He said: “We already sell 2,000 scones a week and sometimes upwards of 800 on a Saturday alone, so there’s no doubting that the demand for this is there.
“But it’s been nearly ten years since we introduced any regular new flavours so we’re keen to keep things fresh. We asked our customers to tell us what they would enjoy and the response has been tremendous.
“We’re doing a trial batch of the Autumn Scones right now and, once we see how that sells, the next one in line will be cranberry and white chocolate. As the weather gets chillier, we think these warm, indulgent flavours ought to sell in really big numbers.”
The bakery, which has branches in Ilkeston’s South Street and Bath Street, as well as Eastwood and Heanor, bakes everything by hand to recipes that have been in the family since the early 1900s - and despite the extra work involved, David is excited by the modernisation of his scone range.
He added: “Scones are what's called in the trade a 'morning good' because they have to be made on the morning you sell them. That means there’s a limit to the variety we can offer because the ovens have to be made available for bread.
“But our customers have made it clear what flavours of scone they want to see so we’re delighted to be able to make it happen.”
For more on Stacey's Bakery, visit www.staceysbakery.co.uk
