Newlands Home Bakery, Glasgow
Re-energised, revitalised and reinvigorated are words which come to mind on entering the newly
revamped Newlands Home Bakery in Busby, Glasgow. A firm and favourite fixture in this bustling
community in the south side of Glasgow, the bakery is one of the longest surviving independent family
craft bakeries in Scotland. First established 45 years ago, Alisdair and Stephen Irvine are third
generation owner/managers of this chain of five bakeries located throughout the south of the city.
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Their longevity and continued success is rooted in their connections with the local community, serving
many generations of the same family. In recent years, the area has undergone a mini renaissance and
is a popular destination shopping area with restaurants, delis, specialist independent craft shops and
boutiques. Capitalising on the new life and look of this suburban main street, brothers Alisdair and
Stephen asked expert retail environment specialists Dollar Rae to apply their design ingenuity to
create and deliver a contemporary new look for the bakery/café.
Alisdair Irvine commented: “We have a long-established relationship with Dollar Rae who have been
the design brains behind all our bakeries. Testament to the quality of their workmanship is that this
is the first full refurbishment of the shop in Busby in nearly 22 years.
“Our customers are very loyal and many of them are on first name terms with our staff, some of whom
have been with us for many years and who have served generations of the same family. It was very
important to us that we created an environment which is warm, welcoming and delivers what
customers need at different points throughout the day.
“We are one of the few remaining craft bakers in the south side of Glasgow and although the industry
as a whole is experiencing a marked decline in bread sales, we are bucking the trend and still have a
high demand for our freshly baked bread products. This is despite the fact that we have a number of
convenience stores next to us and a few mini supermarkets a stone’s throw away.”
Externally, a new fascia and new contemporary burgundy branding whet’s customer’s appetites and
the outside has been brought in by blending the new external elements with a bold colour scheme of
burgundy back painted glass along one wall to dado height. This has been contrasted by a grained
dark laminate and delineates the area for informal sit-in teas/coffees and snacks. Feature lighting
throughout and new tub chairs with low level coffee tables in hues of purple and soft grey provides a
warm and welcoming atmosphere to the café at the rear which has also been enhanced with a
stunning wall mural in shades of purple. A 3D Café @ Newlands sign adds a finishing touch of
continental panache.
This area also benefits from an illuminated glass showcase to highlight their range of speciality cakes
and an illusion of space has been created with a mix of mood lighting and soft grey furnishings. Coordinating grey stone effect cladding runs along one wall to a multi-deck multi-purpose self-selection
unit with crisps and snacks on one side and refrigerated chilled drinks on the other. Replicated at the
front of the café, the stone cladding effect provides the backdrop for a rolling television powerpoint
featuring their range of celebration cakes.
Underlining the popularity of their bread sales, the bakery is the first in the UK to benefit from a new
bread display system, custom manufactured by the design team at Dollar Rae. This practical and
innovative bread display solution with diffused LED light shield conceals a square tube which allows
the shelves to look fuller on quieter days as the shelving capacity is halved.
At just over seven metres in length, the gantry houses bread display with black back panels. A white
tiled back panel is situated behind the coffee machine and is contrasted with an eye catching black
glass menu featuring their speciality coffees. The final section in stainless steel houses contact grills,
oven, bain marie and a wash hand basin. Base cupboards run along the full length of the gantry with
storage concealed behind sliding grained laminate doors. The gantry has been completed with a white
gloss frieze incorporating the new brand identify and provides a stunning background to the
Panoramic cube counter.
Dominating the interior and highlighting their wide product range, the six-metre state of the art
counter has been custom manufactured to draw the eye to different focal points. Split over two levels,
an array of fresh cream cakes and sandwiches are displayed over three rows and is divided by a wicker
basket self-selection for pre-packed fresh foods products. This flow seamlessly into a lower level
section for food to go, deli pots and sandwich fillings and is completed with a hot range of pasties,
pies and sausage rolls. Finished in silver anodised aluminium with white ceramic tiles in herringbone
formation, the counter is illuminated with the latest LED lighting technology.
Stephen McIlvain, Managing Director of Dollar Rae, commented:
“We always look at each new project with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. Delivering a bespoke
solution for our clients is definitely why we have retained loyalty from our clients over the years. Every
building is different and how it serves its customers is critical to the design process. We always look
to innovate and see what is new, taking inspiration from the continent and bringing in elements which
are contemporary but timeless. Investing in a refurbishment doesn’t happen on a regular basis so our
solution has to be fit for purpose for many years to come.
“The creation of this bakery/café truly was a team effort and we collaborated with each other in every
step of the design process to deliver an environment which reflects in every sense their needs and
their customers’ needs.”
Alisdair Irvine concluded:
“Since the relaunch, we have been really impressed with the increase in turnover and the positive
feedback from our customers and staff. Delivering a bakery/café/food to go environment which is all
things to all people can be challenging but we think we have achieved that and we are really looking
forward to the next stage of its’ history.”