End of era: A lifetime’s work on the staff of life comes to an end as Garvey’s bakes its last loaf

FRIDAY was a day of mixed emotions for Neil and Ann Garvey, proprietors of one of Tuam’s oldest businesses, Garvey’s Bakery, as the ovens cooled and the doors closed for the last time after a century of baking. Will the sweet smell of freshly made bread and buns ever waft through the town again?

The couple admit to some nostalgia, but after over four decades as hands-on producers and retailers, they feel it’s a good time to hang up their aprons and enjoy a few well-deserved lie-ins in the mornings – maybe even as late as 6 am.

The couple accept that producing their kind of labour-intensive, quality baking makes it difficult to compete in a market dominated by cheaper but inferior products.

They’re happy, however, and so too are the legions of fans of their famed Health Loaf, that the Garvey name and tradition will live on. Having done a deal with another bakery to continue producing their popular loaf, exactly in accordance with their secret recipe, it will continue to be available in O’Toole’s SuperValu.

Read more in this week's paper or in our digital edition May 1, 2014