A FAMILY owner bakery forced to shut after the devastating Storm Desmond has finally reopened its doors.

E & J G Seward’s shop was one of many properties affected by the floods of December 2015.

After more than two years of hard work getting the bakery back up to standard, it has finally been able to begin trading again - much to the delight of its owner.

“It’s been an absolute nightmare,” said owner John Seward. “Everybody has been good to us but it’s just been red tape that has held everything up and in the end it falls on you to do it.”

Fortunately for John and his staff, the business has two other strands that meant money was still coming in and he said that the community had been supportive.

“We tried to keep our regular customers going even though we have been shut,” he said. “We managed to keep meals on wheels going because that’s one of the essential things we do and we managed to keep outside catering going.”

All staff were able to keep their jobs and John said that the community had been keen for the shop to reopen, with people often asking him when it would happen.

“I was saying ‘hopefully in a fortnight or next week’,” he said. “And it just went on and on and on and I think people stopped believing in the end!”

The shop, which was opened in 1959 by John’s grandparents, offers everything from pies to sandwiches and cakes as well as good conversation.

“You get elderly folk coming in and having a sit down and a natter and pointing out what they want,” he said. “It’s nice to take time to be with customers, not like in a supermarket.”

John said the business had taken a hit because of the closure, not least because he had still been paying £10,000 in rent while the shop was shut.

Now that the shop was open, he was keen to get the message out.

“We are back and open,” he said. “Just call in and see us. We are here to serve the community.”