A beloved Selby bakery opened its first shop earlier in March – and it’s been going down an absolute treat.
Cray Bakes opened its first ever shop earlier this month (Saturday 22 March) at Blackwood Hall Business Park in Selby – and the feedback so far has been “super positive”.
YorkMix caught up with owner and founder Craig Barton to find out more about the reaction to the new venture for Cray Bakes.
“Having our own shop is one of the things that was being asked by our Craniacs, we call them, for years now,” said Craig.
“Now that we finally achieved it and opened our own physical shop – it’s been chaotic!”
Cray Bakes’ first brick-and-mortar shop has opened with a fresh new look, delicious bakes, and artisan coffee supplied by Leeds-based North Star Coffee.
Craig said that people from across the country who have loved Cray Bakes for years have travelled specially to pay the shop a visit, as well as a whole host of brand new customers too.
Founders Craig and Matt started their home-based bakery in 2019 and quickly discovered people loved their bakes.
Operating mainly as a wholesale bakery stocking local organisations such as Spuds and Berries, Langlands Garden Centre and Hull University, they quickly moved into their very first bakery in October 2020 to keep up with demand and since then have grown their wholesale substantially to locations Yorkshire wide.
Cray Bakes are a regular at the monthly Selby Farmers Market and other local events, as well as sending their bakes out all over the UK. The husband duo are passionate about growing their business bigger than ever with their delicious bakes.
Getting their first ever shop ready to open has been “a lot of work to get here. Now that it’s opened, all that work’s really paid off because everyone has been so complimentary about the shop.
“Everyone’s been loving the coffee, the bakes, the new revamped branding – the feedback we’ve been getting has been super positive.”
One of their bestsellers is a Battenberg Cookie Pie (£4.75), a nostalgic cookie pie treat, with a strawberry and almond flavoured chocolate filling.
“Every single day it’s the first thing to sell out,” said Craig. “and we’re making loads of it! It just went crazy on TikTok.”
For those who have yet to pop into the new shop, Craig is encouraging everyone to come on down.
“I think we’re offering something unique in the Selby area – in terms of great bakes and great artisan coffee that’s made perfectly and expertly.
“If you really love your coffee and love your bakes, we’re really the only place to be specialising in that, and it’s something that we’re proud to offer now in the area.”
Cray Bakes offer a ‘Coffee and a Cray Bake’ deal for £6, which is available every day. Craig and Matt also have plans in the works for future products at the shop too, so watch this space for more details coming soon.
The new shop will be open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 7:30am to 4pm.
To find out more, or to order from their online store, visit the Cray Bakes website here.
