GOLD SEAL OF APPROVAL AS WARDS BAKERY IN ECCLES SCOOPS INAUGURAL SALFORD.MEDIA 'BEST IN THE CITY' AWARD

We are a nation of shopkeepers as the famous saying goes and wrongly attributed to Napoleon by many people, but we are not here for a history lesson.

At salford.media we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the local shopkeepers who do a sterling job in meeting our needs and fighting against the Big Boys who own the supermarkets.

Take a look around you, we have barbers, butchers, newsagents, corner shops, off licences, florists, chemists, and bakers.

And it is with those that we have chosen our inaugural winner, step forward, Ivor Ward, who has run Ward's Bakery on Barton Lane for the past 50+ years.

The shop has been in his family since 1922, a staggering 98 years!

Ivor took over from his father, Thomas Frederick Ward who in turn took it over from his father and inside the shop are photographs showing them standing proudly outside the premises.

To get back to the present day, the shop is going as strong as ever with customers coming from all over the area to purchase his wares which are all made on the premises.

Take your pick from Eccles Cakes, (the only shop in Eccles to still make them), mince pies, gingerbread men, chocolate shortbread, blackcurrant tarts, iced fingers....

However the shop is well worth visiting for his mouth watering selection of pies, meat and potato, cheese and onion, meat, steak and kidney and sausage rolls.

Have you ever tasted the shops delicacy, cheese potato cakes? they are wonderful as my waistline will testify.

This shop is a marvellous example of an independent bakery, who has managed to keep going because his products are second to none and faithful customers who know quality when they taste it.

And the good news is that Ivor assures me has no plans for retirement just yet and has a couple of daughters who may take over the reins one day, but not just yet.

We shall be doing a series of articles on local shops, doesn't matter what the trade is, if you think they deserve an award, why not drop us a line at newsdesk@salford.media

The next recipient will be directly chosen by the people of Salford who will have a chance to nominate and vote for the 'BEST CHIPPY IN SALFORD 2020' details coming soon via our 27.5 Thousand Strong Facebook Group.