Bernard had started his working life as a page boy at the Mayfair cinema, Whitefield, but still a teenager, was called up to join the RAF to serve in the Middle East desert campaign as a gunner. With his hearing damaged, he moved to the cookhouse and bakery and after the war went to work with shipping company Manchester Liners, baking fresh bread and cakes while travelling from Salford docks to Montreal, Canada, a round trip often taking about a month. Between trips Bernard went to what was then the Salford Technical College to do his formal City and Guilds qualifications in bread and flour confectionary. After qualifying, he went on to gain experience at various bakeries in the area including Bury Co-op, as well as several family businesses. During the war, Margaret made parts for the Avro Lancaster bombers after the war she worked in admin, in offices on Balloon Street, Manchester. Once she married Bernard and had John and Ann, she spent time at home being a housewife.

Bernard and Margaret opened the original Slattery bakery on the 30th June 1967 on Cleveland Road in Crumpsall housing a bakehouse making traditional fresh bread, cakes and confectionery, along with a small shop on Marlborough Road, Higher Broughton selling the freshly made goods from the bakery plus other provisions. Margaret took on the running of the shops and the accounts and Bernard ran the bakery.

John was 14 when the business opened and helped in the bakery after school and at weekends. At 16 John went on to Salford college, to formally train in baking and confectionery and spent time in Switzerland and Europe, spending time in the Richemond school in Lucerne, Switzerland and Belgium learning new crafts in baking, patisserie and confectionery, before returning to join the family business full time, putting his newfound skills into practise.

John and wife Marilyn welcomed their first daughter Kate, in 1978

In 1979, a new venture beckoned with the opportunity to open a premises in the heart of Prestwich village, this opportunity meant the closure of the small shop in Marlborough Road. The new premises included a shop, alongside a little café serving savouries & freshly baked goods. The bake house remained at the larger site on Cleveland Road in Crumpsall making deliveries to Prestwich every day.

John and Marilyn welcomed their second daughter Laura, in 1980. In 1981, the business faced a significant challenge when a Sainsbury’s superstore opened in Prestwich village, drawing customers away with the convenience of a one-stop shop. This shift affected many local independent businesses, including Slattery. To adapt, the business moved to a smaller premises within the village, continuing to sell freshly baked goods but discontinuing its café offerings.

Whilst the business was changing, so was the family, Ann and Steve welcomed their first daughter Sarah, followed by son Anthony in 1984.

After trying to compete with the Sainsburys superstore for a few years, in 1985 the decision was made to close the Prestwich shop and focus on the main Crumpsall bakery, expanding the wholesale market and the shop at Crumpsall. During this period the business won many accolades in the national bakery competitions, with John, Ann and Steve taking on many experienced and talented competitors to win the UK Bakers of the Year Award, four years in a row.

Ann and Steve completed the family with the birth of daughter Joanne in 1986.

1991 – Bernard and Margaret made the decision to retire, they had worked hard to establish the business and John, Ann & Steve were ready to take over the running of the business. With larger families to support, a decision was made to expand the business.

Ann & Steve took over the running of the bakery in Crumpsall and John found new premises at 156 Bury New Road, Whitefield, to focus on the sweeter things in life!

Johns’ passions and expertise always lay in confectionary and this new branch to the family business concentrated on handmade chocolates, gateaux and desserts, alongside birthday, wedding and celebration cakes. The new shop had John in production and 2 front of house staff members.
The new side of the business worked closely with the bakery, with the bakery producing most of the baked products for the Whitefield store, delivering Genoese sponges for celebration cakes, choux pastry and sponge bases for cream cakes on a daily bases.

Only a couple of years after opening, the new Whitefield business quickly outgrew its premises and made a short move up the road to 190-192 Bury New Road and increasing to 8 members of staff. The new shop had space for a couple of tables which were to be used for wedding cake consultations, but it soon became apparent that there was a demand for inside dining.

Within 2 years of moving into these premises, the purchase and conversion of the house next door at 194 Bury New Road provided the extra space needed. The move meant that the range of chocolates, desserts and celebration cakes could be expanded.

After extending the building into the connecting driveway, adding tables for drinks and cakes, the demand for more was soon apparent. The full production area was redesigned to include a small kitchen for creating lunches, drinks and desserts with seating for 12 people. The house next door was converted in a gift shop called “Tamarind” however as the Slattery café grew in popularity this was closed to create more seats for the café going from 30 seats to 45 to eventually at its maximum capacity of 60 covers.

The chocolate room production also moved upstairs in the premises to create more space in the cake decorating department which was creating up to 40 wedding cakes in one weekend!

Down the road the Crumpsall bakery was going through its own changes, Kate joined the bakery team assisting with the production. In October 1994 a decision was made to shut the shop at the bakery to focus on the wholesale side of the business. With large businesses like Housing Units and Homestyle and of course the Whitefield business requiring large quantities of fresh bread, cakes and fancies every day, the workload was high. However, due to the demand from the residents and staff at the near by North Manchester Hospital, who continued to knock on the door and ask for sandwiches and cakes, the shop reopened with reduced hours of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10-2pm to cater for the lunch time rush and had queues out the door and onto the pavement every open day.

The turn of the millennium marked a pivotal time for the family, as the third-generation children Kate, Laura, Sarah, Anthony and Jo spent their school & college age Saturdays working in various areas of the business from cleaning in the bakery, serving in the shop, washing up in the café and many other duties. Learning from the grounds up, the hands-on experience they all gained would prove invaluable, for the future.

Laura graduated from a degree in Business at Nottingham Trent University and joined the business full time in 2002, initially bringing fresh ideas and a modern perspective, moving the company into the digital age, purchasing the company’s first computer, streamlining processes and looking into ways that the business could work more efficiently. Today she continues to oversee the overall operations of the business as General Manager.

In 2004, with Laura taking on more of the day-to-day operations of the business and with John confident the business would continue into the next generation, his next moved was inspired by a local opportunity – the Masons Arms public house, a 100-year-old building located just across the road from their current establishment.

The Masons Arms was for sale, but in desperate need of repair, but John saw the potential. The location meant the business could grow without disrupting the loyal customer base it that had built over the years. With careful planning the family began the process of transforming the derelict pub into a space that would serve the next phase of their journey. The renovation took just over 6 months, and during the move to the new premises the business only closed its doors for 2 days.

The new building created the family vision for the future. The former pub now housed a 100-seat dining room headed up by Mark, who joined the business as a confectioner in 1995! A large retail shop housing a wide range of baked goods, confectionary and gifts along with a stunning wedding cake showroom. The building also housed a conference room, The Slattery School of Excellence running courses for the hobby baker through to experienced chocolatiers. As well as expansive production areas for chocolate creation, cake decoration, confectionery and the kitchens. The expansion marked a significant milestone in the business history.

During the renovation Anthony played an active role with the transformation of the new premises. Once the new site opened Anthony continued to support the family business settle into the new operations. As the business grew, Anthony helped in both the office and shop, he now continues to oversee the retail side of the business as the Shop Manager.

At the time of the move, Sarah had just completed her studies in cake decorating, joining the team in the new premises. Over the years Sarah continued to gain new skills, taking on additional studies in management to further her expertise. Today she manages the department of over 15 highly skilled decorators, ensuring the business is at the forefront of cake design.

By 2012, the business had continued to thrive, but it was becoming clear that changes were needed for the long-term sustainability. The family came together and made the significant decision to bring both sides of the business together under one roof, closing the Crumpsall location and moving everything to Whitefield.

As the Whitefield site had some challenges, mainly the limited parking, the family began to explore options for a move, looking in the local area, still close to the motorway and main road connecting Manchester and Bury. Several potential sites were explored, however despite best efforts to secure a new site, it was not to be.

With a move to new premises not looking promising, focus was moved to the current Whitefield premises and plans were put in place to redesign the layout to maximise the spaces available. In November 2011, it started with the build of a two-storey extension on the left side of the building, making way for a large walk-in freezer on the ground floor, expanding the loading bay and storage areas. On the first floor the new extension provided new toilets. In June 2012, after knocking through the conference room and old toilets, a brand new 1100sq ft bakery was created, housing two deck ovens, walk in fridge and freezer and all the bakery equipment previously at the Crumpsall site.

On 9th June 2012, after 45 years, the Crumpsall bakery closed its doors for the last time. In a carefully planned move, all bakery equipment, including ovens, provers and mixers were relocated in one weekend. The last bread was baked on Saturday morning, and by 5am on the Monday, the new bakery was fully operational with bread going into the oven.

Also taking place within the building was a new 1000sq ft kitchen, built on the former terrace space that was underused, due to the unpredictable Manchester weather! The new modern kitchen was solely for the dining room and provided the much-needed space to create the well-loved dishes on our menu today.

The old kitchen space was incorporated into the dining room, adding 40 new seats taking the capacity up to 140 seats. Creating a new bar and waiting area. The entire dining room was refurbished with new booth seating, flooring, tables and chairs.

In 2013 the final stages of the expansion focused on the shop and the chocolate room, a single storey extension was added to the right of the building. The new space doubled the size of the chocolate room production, complete with viewing window and the shop gained 300sq ft of space, with a dedicated chocolate sales section and a new lay out of counters and displays to improve the flow of the shop and created a more modern and inviting environment.

In 2014, the youngest of the third generation, Jo joined the business full time. She set to work on the company’s digital presence, focusing on expanding the social media following and website sales. The social media following across Facebook, Instagram and more recently TikTok currently stands at over 100,000 and is continuously growing. It has proved invaluable with many viral “posts” increasing popularity and sales. In addition to marketing Jo co-manages the office alongside Laura and also oversees the Health and Safety within the business,

2016 saw a renovation of the school and training facilities, a full revamp of the courses on offer, increasing the number and types of courses to reflect the changes in styles of cakes and confectionery.

On the 30th of June 2017, Slattery celebrated its 50th birthday! A month-long celebration took place offering customers the chance to win prizes every single day in June, on the birthday there were giveaways in store and products available to buy at prices charged in 1967! A huge outdoor party on the car park for staff, their families and valued suppliers, complete with inflatable pubs and an appearance from Elvis took place!

2017 also welcomed the fourth generation of workers, Katie; Sarah’s eldest daughter and John and Marilyns Great Niece Riana, both came to work on Saturdays during their school & college year, before moving on to further education.

When the pandemic hit on 20^th March 2020, the government announced at 5pm all restaurants, bar, gyms & non-essential shops will close with immediate effect, which meant the dining room and school would be closed. The shop was classed as essential due to selling goods such as eggs, flour & milk all of which had become hard to get hold off in the big named supermarkets. After a week of keeping the shop open, the decision to close was taken, the pandemic was the unknown and it was a nervous time for everyone. The shop was boarded up, the phones and online shop were switched off, and the doors were closed for the first time in 53 years.

On the 2^nd May 2020, in an effort to save the business, the 8 family members and their partners worked behind closed doors to create a local delivery lock down treats, bringing in the much-needed funds to keep the business going. Jo created a specific website for the local deliveries within 5 miles, launching the weeks treats on a Tuesday for delivery Thursday, Friday & Saturdays. When some restrictions eased, the side door to the carpark was opened to have distanced collections, and some staff members volunteered to run extra deliveries. With a shop full of chocolate stock and no reopening date in sight, the launch of mystery chocolate box crashed the website, with thousands trying to get hold of a £10 mystery chocolate box!

On the 16th June with restrictions eased slightly, the shop reopened and so did the order books for cakes. With new ways of working, it took a lot of planning, staff training and implementing new measures, including a maximum of 22 people in the shop at one time, separate entrance and exits, screens on every counter and staff split into 2 teams which meant if one team had to isolate the others could keep going. On the 9th July the dining room reopened, it operated at 65% capacity removing tables to adhere to distancing measures. Disposables menus were introduced and a maximum of 2 households up to 6 people on a table were allowed. This soon changed to 6 people from the same household under the more restrictive Manchester local lockdown. After much back and forth of rule changes, on the 5^th November a new national lockdown was implemented meaning the dining room & school were closed down once again. This time the shop remained open, as well as the online shop and UK courier delivery. The lockdown treats website also relaunched with lockdown treat boxes, takeaway afternoon teas and sweet treats for collection and delivery.

This way of working continued for many months and crucially kept the business going. The Slattery at Home treats proved a huge hit, especially on memorable events such as Mother’s Day which had over 450 collections and over 50 deliveries. On the 17^th May 2021, the dining room reopened and normality slowly returned to the business.

The family made the strategic decision to remain closed on Mondays. Prior to the pandemic, the business was closed only on Sundays, requiring the family and a few other staff to work a six-day week with just one day off. The pandemic highlighted the importance of a healthier work-life balance, allowing more time for family, both together and individually, outside of work.

Another operational change was implemented in the dining room booking system. Prior to lockdown, the dining room was often booked months in advance, with Saturday reservations filled for up to nine months. This led to frustration for customers who preferred not to plan so far ahead. To address this and in response to potential lockdown uncertainties, the booking system was limited to a 31-day advance reservation window. This approach continues, ensuring that every Wednesday, customers have a fair opportunity to book a Saturday table, with wait times now reduced to a maximum of one month.

A significant change involved the closure of the teaching school located on the third floor. Over its 17-year run, the school welcomed over 20,000 students, teaching everything from basic baking techniques to advanced cake designs, including chocolate wedding cakes. Many former students went on to start their own successful businesses. However, with the pandemic, demand for in-person courses declined, leading to cancellations and rescheduling. The decision was made to shift focus towards other business areas that required attention.

Today, the third floor serves as a dedicated packing room, where all goods sold in the shop, along with wholesale orders, are packaged and labelled. This space also provides additional storage, which has allowed for the expansion of both the cake and confectionery departments on the ground floor.

In 2024 the shop underwent a transformation, the focus shifted to expanding the chocolate section. After 11 years since its last update, the increased demand for chocolate products, driven by skilled chocolatiers and a strong social media presence, led to the need for more space. Over the course of a week, the chocolate production area was extended into the shop, introducing a new viewing window where customers can watch the chocolate-making process, including enrobing and other creations. The chocolate section was relocated to a larger space on the far side of the shop, doubling its previous size, by reducing the stock of cake ingredients and tools following the closure of the teaching school. The wedding cake consultation area remained a key feature, with the cake, gateaux, and sandwich bar offerings continuing to thrive.

The Slattery story continues with hopes for many more successful years. Whilst Katie and Riana have chosen careers in other industries, the fourth generation of the family is still growing. Sarah and husband Mike welcomed their daughter Hannah in 2016, and Jo and her husband Dave had their daughter Frankie in 2022. However, the Slattery family wouldn’t be able to tell the history of this business, without the dedication of all its staff members. 2024 brings just few milestones within the team, with 13 members of staff hitting the 20-year service and over including Kay (Cake Decorator) 35 years, Wendy (Confectioner) 34 years and Mark (Dining Room Manager) 31 years.