ERNEST'S STORY

1893

Ernest is Born

Ernest Brace was born in the small mining town of Pontllanfraith into a family of bakers.

1905

Starts young

At just 12 years old, Ernest starts working at his father George’s bakery “George Brace & Sons”

1915

Motorcycle racer

Ernest enjoys his youth by racing motorcycles and shows a passion for speed until war calls for his services.

1917

Royal Flying Corps

Ernest joins the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.

1919

Marriage

Ernest marries Hilda Mary and settles into post war life.

1921

Opens a Bakery

Ernest opens his own bakery in Oakdale, just 3 miles from his father’s bakery in Pontllanfraith. The business flourished, with Ernest making the bread and George making the cake.

1922

Birth of Colin

Ernest's first son Colin is born. He was destined to continue the family business and became a baker.

1926

General Strike

Ernest’s bakes throughout the 1926 General Strike and his business survives in a time of uncertainty.

1936

Bakeries Merge

Ernest incorporates his aging father’s business into ‘Ernest Brace’s of Oakdale’, running both sites at Oakdale and Pontllanfraith.

1942

Death of George Brace

Ernest’s father George passes away.

1956

Baking Innovation

Ernest purchases a new travelling oven, enabling the bakery to create more volume with more consistency, creating better quality products.

1974

Death of Ernest Brace

Ernest passes away, leaving behind invaluable baking knowledge to his family in his treasured recipe book. By the time of his death the bakery had 6 extensions, employed over 100 people, had 12 routes and owned 8 shops.

Present Day

Ernest legacy lives on. The Brace family still have Ernest’s recipe book to this very day, packed with the knowledge of how to make tasty, long fermentation breads.