Peters (bakery)

Peters was a British bakery chain. The business entered into administration in 2012 and the business was acquired by Cooplands of Scarborough.

History

Peter Knowles (born c.1943)[1] was born and raised in County Durham.[2] He trained and worked as a baker in Leeds and London, but returned home to establish a bakery business at Belmont in 1966.[2] A second shop was opened shortly afterwards in Durham city centre.[1] Shops were opened in Teesside and North Tyneside in the mid-1980s.[1]

A rival bakery chain, Harrison's of Spennymoor, with 29 branches, was acquired in the mid-1990s.[2] Following the acquisition Peter's controlled around 70 shops, from Ashington in Northumberland to Northallerton in North Yorkshire.[2]

In 2003 its production plant at Durham was destroyed in a large fire forcing production to move to temporary accommodation in Peterlee until September 2005 when a new £9 million facility was opened on the same site.[3]

Peters Bakery entered into administration in 2012.[4] The business was acquired by Coopland and Son of Scarborough, who retained 22 stores and closed 34.