BUSINESSMAN Peter Buckle has used his loaf – to bring one of York’s oldest bakeries back from the brink.

Buckle’s Bakery closed ten years ago, after 100 years in the city, but is now being reborn in one of its old buildings.

The firm had been passed down the family for generations, until closing in 1999.

But Mr Buckle, 40, reopened the old shop on the corner of Micklegate and Priory Street in the spring as a hot sandwich shop, and he has now started making his own bread again.

Sales to the public will begin on Monday. He said: “I am very excited to be back in the baking business again after ten years away.

“We reopened the shop at Easter as Roast and from then on we have been asked if we are going to do our own bread again. We got a couple of small ovens and demand grew. I decided to get a proper oven and start doing it properly.”

Mr Buckle, who is running the shop with his business partner, Ben Botham, said more than 15 types of bread had been made so far, including olive, sundried tomato, caramelised onion and three-cheese.

He said the pair, and baker Lee Wilkinson, were thrilled with the response so far.

“We are so excited by the quality,” he said.

Mr Buckle said that, when the bakery closed in 1999, it was the oldest surviving bakery in York. As well as the store in Micklegate, it had branches in Bootham and Walmgate.