| Yarrows The Bakers Ltd |
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| Turakina was the township where, in 1923, Alfred Yarrow first established his bakery. Not long after, however, he moved his operation to Manaia which was then expected to become one of New Zealand’s major cities. Manaia never quite lived up to expectations. The planned railhead was never built because of a lack of money and the plans for Manaia’s development never went ahead. Alfred Yarrow’s business was typical of the hundred’s of tiny bakeries dotted throughout the country in the first half of this century. Potatoes from his garden provided the yeast to make the bread and buns he delivered by horse and cart. The bakery continued to prosper on a small scale largely because Alfred and his sons kept up with the latest in technology. Yarrows were one of the first bakeries in New Zealand to install an electric oven and made it policy to employ qualified bakers from Britain to ensure that the company kept up with the latest thinking in Europe. Yarrows were also the first bakery in New Zealand to introduce the name ‘Homestyle’ for its baked products – a brand which is now a household name in New Zealand. When the bakery was severely damaged by fire in 1958, people from the town and surrounding areas, proved the value of close-knit communities and turned out to help. Tradesmen, doctors, lawyers and farmers donated their time free to rebuild the bakery in just three days. Today, Yarrows (The Bakers) Ltd, exports frozen unbaked bakery products to the United States, Canada and the Pacific Islands. Their croissants grace the dining tables of various high class hotels in Las Vegas and New York. Yarrows have just now brought in a new bread product called “salba” bread which is high of vitamins and minerals and is said to be very good for the health of your body. A 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week operation, Yarrows employs 250 people on site at Manaia and employs 150 upwards of people throughout New Zealand and Australia. |
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