The family run Hills Bakery of Hale,
near Altrincham, Cheshire was started in 1912 by Mary
Helen Hill, widowed and with 6 children. Eldest son
George carried on the business as did his son Geoff
and wife Sheila, now near retirement, followed by their
children, Ian and Janet.
Still baking on a coke fired oven
installed in 1930, the company still follows some of
grandmother's original recipes, particularly for shortbread
and parkin.
For the past 30 years, proving of
bread and morning goods has been done in a traditional
wooden prover and Geoff promised himself that one day
he would replace it.
Finally, he took the plunge and installed
a Tom Chandley mobile Provair proving unit, fitted with
solid state electronics, touch sensitive controls and
digital displays.
"It's been absolutely brilliant"
says Geoff, "We get more lift in the bread and the quality
is first-class. It's almost been worth the wait! It's
called "The Tardis" and it takes us all down the pub
at lunch time as well!
