Everyone has a story to tell

Your first taste of a cream doughnut. A pork pie at a picnic. Or a family outing to Birds back in the day. So many of our customers and staff have a Birds story to tell, we thought we’d share some of them here.

What’s your story
  • Grandma Mabe would cross my palms with a few quid to go and get cream-filled ice buns for elevenses. I, being the Labrador, could never make it home without snaffling buns on the way and rearranging the box, thinking Mabe had no idea. She knew what I was doing and only let on about 25 years later. Ben
    A sketch of a filled roll
  • Their iced buns need an ‘Iced buns-anonymous’ helpline setting up, as they are that bloody addictive. Anon
  • Bird’s Bloomer should be knighted for its services to doorstop bacon sarnies. Kate
  • I was head postmaster secretary in Derby, and a Birds shop was opposite. There was always a queue, and the cakes and savouries were delightful! I would pop into the shop twice a day. We loved their Apricot Creams and Apple Creams, which were individual short-crust pastry shells filled with fruit and piped with fresh cream. However, our real addiction was their Scotch Eggs, which were sold in halves and glazed over. We had no money but always found cash for stuff from Birds! Anne
    A sketch of a tart
  • Every Saturday morning was a visit to Bird's in Beeston, Nottingham with my dearest Grandma Harper. Ques were long, but the little shop with the huge window on Beeston High Road was always packed with beautiful displays and there were lovely smells coming from inside. The ladies wore lovely uniforms and little white caps. Grandma Harper would order a Farmhouse Loaf; a quarter of roast tongue, family pork pie. She would then order elephants feet; fresh cream meringues; apricot and blackcurrant tarts; chocolate batons; frangipane tarts, which would take 3 boxes all wrapped up lovely with a ribbon! What a treat! I queued with her in Bird's for years and have many fond memories of that time. We live in Norfolk now, but so very glad Bird's have opened an online shop for the likes of us. We love you Bird's!!!! Lyn
  • A visit to my grandparents must always involve Florentines and pork pies. Should I arrive on their doorstep with neither I’m afraid they may turn me away! Chloe
  • Afterschool treats were a non-negotiable affair – Birds chocolate mice were the currency of joy, and anything less was not accepted by my little ones. My parents took me to Birds, and I am pleased to pass this tradition down to my children, and hopefully their children, a delicious inheritance. Our family moments and gatherings always include Birds. We love the craftsmanship of the bakers, but the true delight is the togetherness their bakes create. Birds isn’t just our favourite bakery; it’s the keeper of our family’s laughter, stories, and joy. Lucy
    A sketch of a tart
  • The best loaves of bread; golden and crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle and still warm! Mum and I would sometimes pop into the cafe at the back of the shop for tea and cake after school! (A real treat when Dad was away!) Always very busy, needing to time your visit perfectly not to be salivating too much in the wait! We have never experienced another bakers quite like it! Happy days and memories. Kate
    A sketch of a filled roll
  • Elephant’s feet were for those appreciating a full coverage of the plate! When heading to grandparents we would take chocolate eclairs and the pink diamond shaped fancies iced and with marzipan, that were so beautiful and fragrant with jelly gems on top! Anon
  • Years ago, my old boss recommended Birds Bakery on the first day of moving to Derbyshire. He wouldn’t buy his bread anywhere else and said they made the best Christmas puddings! Their ham and pork pies are good quality. You can tell they are good quality meat, not full of water and freshly made. Petra
  • A cake from Birds was such a treat as a kid. I moved to the Isle of Wight, but my family are still in the Midlands, so as I’m visiting at least 4 times a year I still get a ‘fix’ (chocolate éclair or bun). When I got married on the island in 1989, my Mum brought down our wedding cake she got in Birds. As most of the guests were Midlander's and Birds customers, the cake nearly stole the show! Christine
  • In the 1950s, we had weekly trips to visit my Derby based grandparents. Our five o’clock tea was always ham salad with egg and cucumber sprinkled with mint from the backyard. The highlight then was a Birds individual trifle. In those pre plastic days this delightful delicacy with its swirly cream and green topping was served in a waxed paper container folded concertina style. How I loved those trifles and then stretching out the paper tub to lick out the last delicious morsels from the creases. Jan
  • 41 years ago I left school and got a YTS place at Bewise in the town centre, we earned £25 a week, if I was lucky enough to get early lunch, my friend and I would walk up to birds and get two single rolls and just enough liver pate to go inside for 40p, it sold out very quickly, it still makes me smile thinking about this today. Deborah
  • My wife and I are originally from Derby but now live on the South Coast. The one thing I really miss, is Birds unbelievably tasty Pork Pies. This last week my wife had to back to Derby to help her daughter look after one of the Grandchildren who had to have surgery. On my wife’s return, she surprised me with two delicious Birds Pork Pies for Valentines Day. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine’s gift and I’m 83yrs old. Anon
  • When I was young mum always took us to Birds for cakes and pork pies every week, and when I started work it was your dinner roll filled with ham and pineapple for lunch on a Friday. Then I got married and moved away around the country with my husbands job but when we came back to Derby on visits we always came to Birds. Now we are settled in Lincolnshire we make 4 journeys a year back to Derby to fill up on pies, bread, rolls and cakes, please don't ever close, I have tried others but nothing comes near to Birds. Ann
  • I grew up in Stapleford which thankfully has a Birds bakery. As a family we were big fans of Birds sausages, sausage rolls and Elephants feet as a weekend treat. In fact my mum had a regular order every Saturday until she was into her late eighties and wasn't able to get around on her own. Unfortunately I moved away to Kent (a non Birds area sadly) many years ago but I still pick up some Birds goodies whenever I'm back in Notts. Keep up the good work! Alun
  • A weekly treat for me was a trip to Birds on the bus with my parents. The delicious smell on entering the shop was wonderful and not to be forgotten. Cakes a plenty with a taste like none other, breads, pies - ample choice and always baked to perfection. Birds mince pies and pork pies were a must at Christmas. When my family came along, I took our daughter to our local Coalville Birds. She used to stand on the shelf at the front of the cake display, money in hand, to choose her favourite cake, much to the delight of the shop staff. Now an adult she too regularly shops there and so the tradition is handed down the generations. Birds truly is a 'family' Bakery to be enjoyed by all generations. Susan
  • I could write a book. I was the first 13 year old Saturday girl you employed at the Allenton branch, could only work for 5 hours a day. On leaving school I went full time at James St before promotion to Mackworth as assistant manageress, aged 19 this became my shop. The best job I’ve ever had. The amazing products which Birds have done over the years far too many to list, amazing work colleagues and wonderful customers. Dawn
  • As a child every time we went to the dreaded dentist he would say when we left, ‘no sugar or sugary treats’. Birds was directly under the dentist. So the first thing we did after every dentist visit was call in at Birds for a cream cake. Delicious! Vic
  • I was born in Derby and not many weekends passed without the family spending time in the Peak District of which I love every inch. Birds was bread, why buy it anywhere else? Beef paste? Took it for granted, smooth and delicious with a tang of spice. And of course haslet, how I loved that. And pork pies; all others are tasteless by comparison, sausages and for special occasions, cream cakes. But then, at the grand old age of 50 I married and had to move to London. Oh dear, I quickly learned how special Birds are, and what a miserable place to live London is. So a couple of times a year when homesickness got too much I would drive back to breath the clean air, listen the the quiet, birdsong, sheep and visit Birds taking a huge cool bag back to London to freeze my favourites and enjoy them as special treats. Now, I am still homesick 20 years later and finding your on line store is a life saver. PLEASE never change and keep the on line orders. Anon
  • How I miss Birds. I grew up loving your little rolls and yummy cakes. Special tea for my nieces was rolls filled with egg and cress, roast ham, cheese. Tiny pork pies followed by an array of cakes. My little niece raised up on her knees shouted “oooh cream cakes” her little eyes lighting up. All grown up and I’m about 120 miles from my nearest Birds but my eyes light up and my mouth waters just thinking of all the delicious things in Birds. Yum! Patricia
  • Birds the Confectioners was always part of our life from being very young, all the wonderful cakes and one of our favourites was the Chocolate Baton with a sugared Violet on the top, delicious! My parents would always buy the Farmhouse loaves which were yum, Pork Pies and Tomato Sausages, yummy at the time but I'm Veggie now. Christmas was always very special too, Marzipan Fruits and the wonderful Petit Fours, they were amazing! My parents always ordered plenty for gifts and for us, it wasn’t a proper Christmas without them. I have to say, after leaving Derby over 30+ years ago, Birds the Confectioners is the ONLY thing I miss! Thank you for the Memories Birds and I'm so pleased I can follow you on Instagram, just wish we were near enough to visit, alas not. Anon
  • When I was a child my late mum used to take a trip to derby which meant a treat for us as a family when I returned home from school. Usually consisted of a choice of a cream slice, cream doughnut or an elephants foot. Special memories! Rosalind
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