Birds has confirmed its Burton offering will restructure due to a decline in sales and ‘the changing nature of town centre shopping’.

The company said that the move, which will see the café close and the bakery expand, will not result in any job losses. The bakery firm also revealed it is planning to open a new store in Branston and cut the ribbon on a new site in Stretton precinct today (18 May). It said these new ventures will see around £200,000 invested in the wider East Staffordshire area.

Last month, Birds began work on a new site in Stretton. 

Mike Holling, head of retail at Birds, said: “After being part of the business for more than 50 years, it was an extremely hard decision to take when deciding to close our tea rooms in Burton. It has been a fixture of the high street for a long time but it has seen sales decline for the past five years due to the ever-changing nature of the high street and the marketplace in general.

“It was a very hard decision to make but the move will now allow us, by removing the staircase to the first floor, to expand what we offer to our customers at our popular main Burton shop. We are pleased that all staff will be redistributed - some staying in our two stores in Burton and some moving to Stretton - and remain a part of the Birds family.”

He added that “the ink is now dry” on the contract for a new Birds store in Branston, based in the Branston Square retail park.

“This, coupled with new site in Stretton, will see an investment of around £200,000 in the area by the firm and thus reaffirming our commitment to continue to serve our customers in East Staffordshire.”