The ‘gay cake’ row bakery is to limit its services after having been found guilty of discrimination against a gay customer. 

Ashers Bakery will provide only birthday and baby-related celebration cakes, according to The Belfast Telegraph.

Daniel McArthur, Ashers bakery general manager, said: “Due to the recent legal developments we have decided to limit our celebration cake range to certain birthday and baby-related celebration cakes while we consider our policy and talk with our lawyers.”

The pro-Christian bakery was taken to court by gay rights activist Gareth Lee, after it refused to make a cake with the slogan ‘Support Gay Marriage’. The Belfast judge said Ashers was not exempt from discrimination law, and explained that the company was “conducting a business for profit” and was not a religious group. Ashers was ordered to pay agreed damages of £500.

The bakery said the slogan was against its Christian beliefs. However, the judge said while the court accepted its religious views, the bakery was still not above the law.

More change

In addition, supermarket giant Tesco, which stock sausage rolls and other products from Ashers, last week said it is ‘reviewing’ the judgement of the bakery.

The retailer stocks from the bakery in its Northern Irish stores.

The cake row hit the headlines in July 2014 and, in November, the Equality Commission confirmed plans to take legal action against the bakery.

Throughout the case, the McArthurs, who are considering an appeal, were supported by the Christian Institute, which paid their defence costs.