11 Elevens Bakery opened its doors at 07.00 on Friday 28th June, 2024. A cool breeze was blowing, and it felt a bit nippy, but this did not daunt a brisk trade at opening time.

Owner, Adam Cousins.

Rushden was blessed with so many great shops, and we certainly had some fantastic bakeries.

Some of these would cook your Sunday dinner in their ovens for you. These were coal ovens with no thermostat - but the skilled bakers knew just how long the bread needed. This was many years before microwaves and Air Fryers!

And surprisingly, a couple of Bakers had used an address in the High Street, that has now come to life again!

Yes, this is where we are now blessed with 11 Elevens Bakery, which is open 7 days a week.

Adam and Shanade on the go.

It took me a while to understand where the name came from, and it was not until I was about to complete this article, that the penny dropped! (A task made easier, for anyone who has a brain like a Bletchley Park code breaker?)

I made my visit on the first morning at about 10.00, and was greeted with a friendly smile and pleasant words by owner Adam Cousins, and his assistant Shanade, at number 121 in the High Street.

He and his wife Kelly can be found in Brindley Close in Rushden, inside Inflatapark during their opening times, NN10 6EN.

Meanwhile the High Street Bakery opening hours are - Monday to Friday, 7.00-2.00, Saturday 8.00 until 4.00, and on Sunday from 9.00 until 3.00.

The usual social media options are available, or contact at enquiries@11elevens.co.uk

Loads of people were coming in during my visit, and the selection was pretty impressive, home-made sandwiches were priced at £3.50. For the sweet toothed among you, there is plenty to tempt you.

The savoury pastries did have a great aroma, and the pastry looked a great rich colour.

	Perfectly fresh. Something for every taste.

And we were blessed with the talented local window cleaner, who kindly demonstrated his magic tricks to me!

All this to help make the premises look spick an span on the day.

Plans are underway to grow the business in other places locally, so watch this space.

Meanwhile Shanade and the staff are serving people with their orders in Rushden.

What shall we have?

As you read this, I suppose you are thinking about so many tasty treats that you may have treated yourself to in the past, from various shops?

I will try to recall a few names, and see if they start to jog your memory. So depending on which part of town you lived in, probably had a bearing on which you made a bee line for.

A must, if you were anywhere near Wellingborough Road was Tilley's, always a happy family run shop at number 124.

Back in the summer of 2016, the sun was setting for the final time on the Rushden branch of Oliver Adams bakery in the High Street. Northampton’s bread and cake makers let 62 staff go, and closed 12 stores at the end of May, 2016.

Mr Brian Crane ran his famous shop at 38 Higham Road, and later moved next to Boots at number 33 in the High Street, and was trading as Anglo Swiss for many years. This then became became Kinlochs who were based at 44 Croyland Road, Wellingborough, and both that and the Rushden shop closed in 2015.

My late mother had her bread from Mr Harris in Little Street, and I seem to recall him walking around Wymington with a large whicker basket full of fresh bread.

A treat if you were down the High Street, may have been to nip in to number 52, the ever popular Barlow’s cake shop.

Back to 2024, as I was speaking to owner Adam, he asked me if I knew anything of the previous bakers.

The address in the High Street at 121 now used by 11 Elevens Bakery was formerly used by G W Cobley, and then Mr Arthur Keech.

Mr Keech’s claim to fame was his cream buns that were crammed with the tastiest artificial cream in town! He was a real gentleman, and used to live in Wymington.

I pointed Adam in the direction of Rushden Hearts and Soles website, which he had not been aware of so I gave him the address - http://www.rushdenheartsandsoles.co.uk - and to his joy, he was able to see so much information about the town etc.

11 Elevens is open at 121 High Street, Rushden, NN 10 0NZ.

On the opening day, the weather in town was sunshine and cloudy, with a cool breeze. Afternoon felt a bit cooler with heavy cloud. The temperature in town was 19.3 as recorded by Rushden Weather Station. Lots of great information at : http://www.rushden-weather.co.uk/

Just as one business was starting up, another was closing down the next day.

As we said goodbye to Net Affair on Saturday 29th June, 2024.