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Arbroath institution Pie Bob’s celebrates a century in business this year and recently opened a new shop in the Angus town.

Owned by Neil Elford and his family for the last 25 years, the bakery has expanded from humble beginnings on Grant Road to three premises.

Neil and the family have invested more than £350,000 into the firm recently, building a large bakehouse in the Kirkton Industrial Estate and a new store on Arbirlot Road.

Now, daughter Emily Minott is handling more of the business, running the shop in Timmergreens.

Pie Bob’s has taken over the former Alexander’s Bakery there, following the death of former owner Colin Alexander.

The family prides itself on its name, with its products having a national reputation despite the relatively small local footprint.

TikTok star Kalani Ghost Hunter recently sampled Pie Bob’s steak and black pudding pie, dubbing it “the best food he’d put in his mouth” this side of the Atlantic.

As well as identifying it as a well-known bakery site, Neil said 77 weeks of roadworks for the controversial bike lane had a “colossal” impact on trade on the Grant Road store, necessitating opening a western location.

Neil said: “We bought Pie Bob’s 25 years ago, when it was just the small shop on Grant Road.  Then, we bought the two shops next to ours in 2019 and expanded.  But there just wasn’t enough room.

“There was planning permission to expand into the car park, but it was clear it was never going to be enough room.

“So instead, we bought units at the Kirkton Industrial Estate and moved the bakery up there.

“We were reluctant to do that at first because we’ve always been proud of the fact we baked on-site.

“You have so much more control when you do that, you can see where and when you are running out.

“And now there’s a lot more planning involved.  But in that time we have also expanded into doing wholesale too.”

Neil continued: “Moving here helps keep the area alive, it keeps footfall coming in not just to us, but other shops too.  And us moving here has been well received.

“People will not travel across town any more.  It’s dead on that side of the town.  And the council has not listened to businesses.

“They have not spoken to a single business about the cycle path and it has killed that end of town.

“We saw it when the roadworks started, the amount of people coming through the door just dropped right off.

“And that it is taking 77 weeks is just ridiculous.  We have now gone through two summers with this,  Why has it taken a year and a half?”

The family highlighted the difficulties facing businesses in the current economic environment.

“Everything has more than doubled.  The cost of ingredients, sugar, meat, overheads, everything.” Neil added.

“It has become really hard to make money.  Margins are so tight.

“And turnover itself is not the issue.  It’s just so difficult to make money on your product right now.

“But we’re still a strong, local business.  We’ve taken a long time to get where we are.

“It hasn’t been a case of just coming in, throwing lots at it and expanded, we’ve worked very hard to protect our product and our name.”

Despite the difficult business climate, Pie Bob’s has endured because of its products, staff and most importantly, customers, Neil and Emily said.

“Pie Bob’s is 100 years old this year, which is brilliant,” Emily said.

“For a business to survive that long, and to expand in the current economic climate and the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, is something we are incredibly proud of.”

This article appeared in The Courier on 2 August 2025