Birds bakery: In photographs as it celebrates its centenary

As Birds Bakery celebrates its centenary, we look back at its rise from a single Derby shop to an East Midlands' high-street staple through a century of photographs.

Birds' first small shop and bakery was set up in 1919 in 234 Upper Dale Road, Derby, by three brothers - Frank, Thomas and Reginald Bird - when they returned from World War One.

Eight years after the business was launched, they opened a second shop in Normanton Road and before long they were opening up branches across Derby and the surrounding areas.

Despite strict rationing, Birds continued to trade during World War Two, as seen by this queue of people in 1941.

The business continued to grow after the war and in 1961 they opened their first branch in Nottingham city centre.

The company's first mission statement, written in 1974, was "to provide our customers with the highest possible quality of cakes, pork pies and bread and savouries, at a reasonable cost and with a friendly and reliable service".

Modern machinery became increasingly commonplace at the bakeries as Birds continued to bake for dozens of outlets around the East Midlands.

Christmas is always the busiest time and this year some 400,000 mince pies and tarts were made over the festive period, according to the company.

A century since it was founded, more than 750 people work at Birds and there are about 65 stores across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.

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