A FAMILY-RUN bakery that closed in 2014 is set to re-open in the coming months……… as a family-run bakery.

Gilberts, in London Road, Leigh, had been in the Hill family for two generations, and in the Gilbert family for generations before that.

The Hills closed it in October, 2014, and it had been on the market for some time before that.

The bakery will now be resurrected though after it was taken over by Sean Murphy, 48, of Southend, who has been in the trade since he helped his father in his bakery as an eight-year-old.

Mr Murphy currently has a wholesale outlet on Canvey called simply, The Bakery, but will move that to the Leigh shop when he opens, which he hopes to be before Easter.

He said: “I worked for my dad’s bakery in Ongar but that closed down six years ago, he also used to have the Chalkwell Park Bakery, but again that’s gone now.

“I started off greasing tins and washing the floors in my dad’s bakery, now I’ll be doing the baking and my wife, Jane, will be doing the shop, so it’s good to keep it in the family and continue the tradition of family-run businesses in this premises.

“It will be a traditional bakery, doing bread, cakes and buns.

“I haven’t thought about what to call it yet but it will probably be something simple like The Bakery, I want people to be coming back because of what we bake so it doesn’t matter what your name is if your produce isn’t good.”

Gilberts was an institution in Leigh for many years and regulars were sad to see the Hills, and their McDuff cream cakes, go.

But news of the resurrection of a bakery on the site was welcomed by chairman of the town council, Richard Herbert.

He said: “I think it is wonderful.

“I used the old bakery many times and it is nice to see another family opening it back up.

“I wish them every success from myself and my fellow members of the council.”