THE future is "uncertain" for a long-serving bakery celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

Lawrance's Bakery on High Street in Evesham is celebrating a milestone anniversary next month but revealed it is being impacted by the Cost of Living crisis.

Rising flour, gas and electricity costs and customers changing their spending habits to save money have impacted the business. 

"At the moment, the future looks misty and hazy, like we would like to go on, but we are unsure," said Donald Mclellan, who has worked for Lawrance's Bakery for 40 years.

"Many people cannot afford it anymore, and we could buy cheaper ingredients, but the quality goes down.

"The future is uncertain or unchartered waters."

He said one of the many reasons the bakery has lasted the test of time is by providing the same quality of bread throughout the ages.

Despite the challenges, Mr Mclellan said he is proud the bakery survived 70 years, and the landscape in the High Street has changed throughout that time.

Talking about how the bakery will be celebrating, Mr Mclellan said: "I do not know if we have the time.

"It is a battle each day to keep going - we would like to mark it in some form, though."

Donald Mclellan and Andrew Dolphin took over the business from Peter Lawrance three years ago.

Mr Lawrance had taken over the business from his father, Lesley, who opened the Evesham bakery on March 14, 1954, after moving from Brewers Bakery in Badsey. 

The father and son duo worked in the bakery, starting with only five staff members.

Decades later, the bakery soon employed 50 members of staff and had branches across the county.

Mr Lawrance, now 78, said: "There are very few bakeries now because of supermarkets - I understand the dilemma the bakery is in, and only time will tell."

He added that he remembers when the bakery used clock fire ovens and carried heavy flour bags of 140 pounds.

"We then evolved into gas ovens, then electric and had flour stored in silos - the way we made bread has changed.

"I am very proud to see it where it is. Things change, but the standard of the bread remains."