Warings Bakery in Tilehurst could be named as Britain's Best Small Shop of 2018

Warings Bakery in Tilehurst could be named as Britain's Best Small Shop of 2018 by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC).

The popular shop has always stood by traditional values and techniques of craft baking and customers continue to rave about the quality of the produce.

Daniel Carr, who works at Warings, said: “We continually strive to add interest and variety to our range, adapting to the latest trends through promotions and activities in our shops.

"This includes National Doughnut Week, Craft Bakers Week and specialist food days, like Cream Tea Day or Chocolate Cake Day.

“Most recently, we have found great success with our summer of bread, introducing a new bread roll every weekend, which is perfect for picnics, barbecues and salads.

"One of our fantastic success stories was the launch of our bakery school. Year on year this continues to grow and we have welcomed guests from every corner of the country as they travel to learn from our third generation family bakers.”

The Best Small Shops competition celebrates the commitment and creativity of independent retailers, as well as recognising the role they play in the community.

The winner will be announced at an event at the Houses of Parliament on November 13.

Mark Walmsley, chairman of the IRC, added: “Despite all of the bad headlines and the high-profile closures of larger stores, we firmly believe that specialist independent retailers can thrive in this climate by delivering a truly unique retail experience.

“The Best Small Shops competition enables us celebrate this unique industry, the passion, service, flexibility and knowledge of independent shop owners offer and show customers what makes independent retailers so special.”