Te Puke Bakery and Tearooms: Tales and anecdotes wanted

Te Puke Bakery and Tearooms was owned by Tom and Winnie Baikie. Photo / Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Community Archives.

A creative writing student is inviting Te Puke’s long-term residents to test their memories.

Brooke McCann is the great-granddaughter of Tom and Winnie Baikie who owned the Te Puke Bakery and Tearooms from the 1930s until 1968.

She is hoping to put together a memoir with stories and anecdotes about the bakery and tearooms and her great-grandparents, complete with recipes they may have used.

“I have to do a research project so that’s what’s led me down this path,” she says.

“Because it was still open in the 1960s I think people will remember.”

She has done some research, has posted a request on Facebook and has received some responses.

“I’ve found quite a bit of information on Tom, but hardly any information on Winnie - so I was wondering if people had any stories about her or had favourite recipes maybe.”

Brooke’s grandmother June Jamieson has also had an influence on the project.

“My grandma was an amazing baker because her parents owned the tearooms. She passed away about 10 years ago and my aunty’s always said that she would write all the recipes down for us.”

As well as stories and recollections, Brooke would like to see photographs.

“I’ve never seen photos or anything of the inside of the tearooms. I know people had wedding receptions there and there were lots of meetings held there - but I’ve never seen the inside so I was wondering if people had photos they were willing to share, or even just little anecdotes or stories from the people who met there.”

The bakery and tearooms were on a site close to the location of the BP service station.

In 2003 the nearby service lane adjacent to the BP Service Station was named Tom Baikie Lane in recognition of the well-known baker.

During World War II servicemen and women were farewelled from the cafe. They enjoyed his hospitality free of charge in the tearooms and were presented with a gift of a £10 note on leaving for active duty overseas.

This was followed by food parcels while they were overseas.