Lots of cakes for a 60th birthday

Celebrating 60 years of the Peter Pan Bakery are (from left) Olive and Kevin Greaney, Ann...
Celebrating 60 years of the Peter Pan Bakery are (from left) Olive and Kevin Greaney, Ann Richards (widow of first baker Stan Richards), and Sharon and John Greaney with twin daughters Breanna and Alyssa (8). Photo by Sally Rae.
In the early days of the Peter Pan Bakery and Cafe, people used to come in from businesses and get their teapot filled with hot water.

Now people walked up the street with cups of coffee, so things had changed over the past 60 years - but not necessarily that much, owner John Greaney said.

The Greaney family marked 60 years of ownership of Peter Pan with a breakfast gathering at the cafe yesterday morning.

It has been a family affair since 1950, when Kevin Greaney bought the Peter Pan bakery in Thames St. He bought McPhersons Bakery in Tees St four years later and that was used as the bakehouse.

Initially, the Thames St shop sold mostly mince pies, buns and cakes.

Not long after the shop opened, the cafeteria at the railway station burnt down and Peter Pan was asked to supply 30 dozen pies each day. Brian Greaney, a brother of Kevin, recalled delivering pies to the station by bicycle.

In the early 1980s, the cake shop shifted to Eden St and in 2004, operations were combined on one site.

John Greaney recalled working with the late Stan Richards, the original baker, who worked at Peter Pan for many years.

He was a "colourful character" and John could not name a day when they had a bad morning in the bakehouse.

Stephen Adams, export and South Island account manager for Bakels New Zealand, started his career at Peter Pan 34 years ago.

He remembered making an appointment to see Kevin Greaney and going accompanied by his parents.

Mr Greaney told him he would give him a chance because he had brought his parents along and they would be responsible for getting him to work on time. The knowledge he gained from Mr Greaney and Mr Richards set him up for life, he said.

Kevin Greaney (84) is still a regular visitor at the bakery and cafe.

 

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