Parker's celebrates it's centenary with a penny loaf

It's a Northfields staple and is celebrating 100 years in business and to celebrate loaves will be going for an old penny!

For one day only (on Saturday July 12th) to coincide with the Northfields Summer Fun Day, Parker’s on Northfield Avenue will be turning back the clock to a time when there were 240 pennies to the pound and the average family income was around £100 per year.

Shop staff will be dressed as they would have been in the early 20th century and customers will be able to buy a traditional penny loaf in exchange for one old penny (whilst stocks last).

Founded by Thomas Parker in West Ealing in 1913, with finance from his father and further help from his sons, Tom and John, the business eventually expanded to six shops.

By 1969 John was running the business on his own but died in 1970 aged just 50 - his widow Monica sold all but the Northfields branch.

Monica Parker continued to work six days a week in the business celebrating her 90th birthday in the shop in July 2009.

She died in 2010 since when the business has been run by Brian Davis who worked alongside Mrs Parker for 40 years after her husband’s death.

Bread, buns, doughnuts, cakes, pies and sausage rolls are made to traditional recipes and Parker’s freshly made sandwiches are well known throughout Ealing. Queues of loyal customers are a regularly sight at the shop.

Owner Brian Davis says:

''‘We’re proud to have survived two world wars and several recessions by concentrating on quality products and personalised service. The penny loaf idea is our way of saying thank you to our many loyal customers’.

1st July 2014