Local food operators stocking products from Barkers Bakery, including shops and cafes in Histon & Impington, have received an “urgent food safety alert” requiring them to take immediate action.
In a letter from the Waste and Environment team at South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC), dated 26 March, business operators were informed of ,“an urgent food safety matter concerning products supplied by Barkers Bakery of Broad Lane Industrial Estate, Cottenham” – relating to “serious hygiene issues at their premises”.
The letter continued: “As a precautionary measure we advise all businesses that have received products from Barkers Bakery to cease use of all products immediately and remove and dispose of all stock, including those that may have been frozen.”
The company’s premises in Broad Lane Cottenham serves as both its bakehouse and business headquarters.
Local businesses who sell Barkers products have also been warned that “failure to take appropriate action may pose a risk to public health.”
Barkers Bakery provides goods for both wholesale and retail customers in five stores across Cambridgeshire, including branches on Histon High Street and in Cottenham.
The advice from the council’s Waste and Environment team could also apply to members of the public who may have purchased and frozen items produced by the bakery. Based on its warning to food business operators, these should be disposed of.
Business as usual
As of this morning (27 March), the Barkers’ outlet in Histon remains open to the public. Customers can continue to buy sandwiches, savouries and wrapped produce, but the bread shelves are bare.
A handwritten notice on the shop door states: “Due to lack of delivery, we have no bread. Sorry.” HI HUB has been informed by a source close to the company that they “think the bakehouse is being refurbished.”
Barkers’ goods are stocked by local businesses including Co-op stores but today an empty shelf remained where Barkers’ bread would normally be stocked.
A spokesperson for South Cambridgeshire District Council said: “We’re investigating hygiene issues we found during a routine inspection of Barkers Bakery in Cottenham on Wednesday 19 March. During that inspection, the bakery chose to voluntarily close, so they could carry out work to rectify the issues”.
HI HUB has reached out to Barkers Bakery for comment but, at time of publication, no response has yet been received.
Anyone with concerns should email commercial.envhealth@scambs.gov.uk
Updated 28 March 2025 – SCDC Waste and Environment team have issued further advice concerning affected products as follows:
“In our initial alert, we advised businesses to dispose of all Barkers Bakery products due to possible contamination issues during production. We are now extending this precaution to include all Kings Cliffe Bakery products as well.
“It has come to our attention that these two businesses, which previously operated separately, have now merged and are operating from Barkers Bakery, Broad Lane, Cottenham while continuing to use both brand names. Due to a lack of full traceability, and possible contamination of products, all products under both brands should be disposed of immediately”.
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