Six members of staff at Gerrards Bakery in Wales have received long service awards, after collectively accumulating more than 180 years with the business.

Dawn van Rensburg, director of Gerrards Bakery, said: “The long service awards are another important milestone in the history of Gerrards and, in the next few years, we will have other members of staff who will have been with us for 20 years. I think it says a lot about the business that we have so many people who have been with us for such a long time – we have people whose parents and grandparents also worked here.

“There’s a very strong sense of loyalty and family spirit within the whole business – not just the Gerrards family but the staff’s families too. Every member of staff we have in the bakery and in the shops is vital to the smooth running of the business. We value their contribution.”

Staff who received awards from the Wirral-based company included bakery foreman Chris Williams, bread foreman Adrian Munkley, baker and confectioner Jeanette Williams, van driver Colin Jones, payroll manager Teresa McNeil and retail manager Gloria Davies.

Van Rensburg took over as co-director with her husband Dirk from her father Philip Gerrard Jones. He started working in the bakery full-time in 1958 and took charge of the business for more than 30 years.

Gerrards, which was founded in 1838 and is now a sixth-generation family-run business, was one of the finalists in this year’s Baking Industry Awards in The Craft Business Award.

Van Rensburg added: “I’m incredibly proud of the fact we were in the final three at the Baking Industry Awards. It was a huge accolade that would not have happened without the fantastic team of staff we’ve got in the bakery and out in our shops.

“Maintaining our high standards is vital to us. The economic climate isn’t wonderful, but the one thing we won’t compromise is the quality of the ingredients we use, as well as the love and attention we put into the products.”