(Image: Supplied)
Family-run Kandy Bar Bakery in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, has changed hands as long-time owners Stephen and Rona McAllister retire after more than 50 years in the business.
The husband-and-wife team have handed over the bakery to Craig and Lesley McPhie, who have pledged to preserve its traditions while making considered investments to support future growth.
Founded in Saltcoats in 1929 as a small family sweet shop, Kandy Bar Bakery has grown into a Scottish bakery known for its sweet and savoury products.
The McAllisters took ownership in 1991 and expanded the business while maintaining its established traditions and standards.
The bakery has received several industry awards, including Scottish Baker of the Year in 2016 and titles at the World Scotch Pie Championship in 2014 and 2016.
It employs about 90 people and operates four retail shops, a deli and a café, alongside a wholesale network serving customers across Scotland.
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Mr McAllister said: "After more than fifty wonderful years, the time has come for Rona and I to step back and enjoy our retirement.
"O wning and running Kandy Bar Bakery has never simply been a job.
"It has been our life's work, our passion, and very much part of our family.
"We have been incredibly fortunate to serve generations of customers, work alongside an outstanding team, and become part of the communities we proudly serve.
"Together we have built a business founded on quality, tradition, and trust, and we are immensely proud of everything that has been achieved.
"We are delighted to be handing over the bakery to people who genuinely understand its history and respect everything it stands for.
"We know Kandy Bar Bakery is in safe hands and wish Craig, Lesley, and the whole team every success as they begin this exciting new chapter."
Craig McPhie, managing director, said: "We have not simply acquired a bakery.
"We have accepted responsibility for a business that generations of customers, dedicated staff, and the McAllister family have built over almost a century.
"From day one, our commitment is to preserve everything that customers have come to value while supporting the talented team whose dedication has made Kandy Bar Bakery what it is today.
"The familiar faces, the quality products, and the friendly service that customers know and trust will remain at the very heart of the business."