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Original poster

Anyone remember a chain bakery/cafe called "Oliver's"

101 replies

Flapjacker48 · 05/03/2023 23:54

The sign had a small boy holding a basket of bread I think. Brown and yellow type colour scheme..

Stores had a bakery at the entrance and cafe tables at the back. I remember being taken there as a child in the 80s was a treat. Think it was a nationwide chain!

OP posts:
ReedRite · 05/03/2023 23:57

I remember! Used to love to go there for lunch for a baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn with my school friends on a Saturday when I was in my early teens. And they did the best hot chocolate with cream!

And didn’t they serve the drinks in those ugly pottery mugs? Or am I thinking of somewhere else?

Redglitter · 05/03/2023 23:57

OMG yes. They did the most amazing sandwiches. Thick THICK gorgeous white bread. I loved Olivers

2ManyPjs · 06/03/2023 00:04

A mug from the Olivers cafe:

twitter.com/74frankfurt/status/1360870784475013121?lang=en

MustardCress · 06/03/2023 00:05

Yes! Jacket potato with cheese fresh from the microwave please!

ReedRite · 06/03/2023 00:06

2ManyPjs · 06/03/2023 00:04

Yes!! That was them. I had slightly confused it in my head with the ugly pottery ones that you could buy around the same time, probably from the Kitchen Reject Shop.

Rainbowshit · 06/03/2023 00:10

My sister and I used to absolutely love the sandwiches. Such thick bread.

2ManyPjs · 06/03/2023 00:13

The sandwiches were top tier.

Original poster
Flapjacker48 · 06/03/2023 00:18

Did they go bust?

OP posts:
msssm · 06/03/2023 00:23

I used to go there in school lunch hour and buy a (bomber?)

Huge cream filled pastry with icing. They were so good.

NeverApologiseNeverExplain · 06/03/2023 00:29

Funny, that mug is from the exact branch of Oliver's that I knew in the 80s.

MyFavouritePlace · 06/03/2023 00:33

I never knew it was a chain. The one I went to was in Ealing. Loved going there.

Original poster
Flapjacker48 · 06/03/2023 00:34

@MyFavouritePlace Yes it was pretty wide spread as I went to one in my home town in North Wales and to one in London (Enfield) at Grandparents.

OP posts:
Redglitter · 06/03/2023 00:42

I mainly frequented the ones in Paisley & Glasgow, so very widespread

Chrysanthemum5 · 06/03/2023 00:54

Yes! My first ever Saturday job was in Oliver's. I was so confused by all the different types of bread, and the slicing machine was a death trap. Good points were that everyone was lovely and you could take home cakes at the end of the day

Want2beme · 06/03/2023 00:54

I loved Oliver's in Ealing. Huge jacket spuds and doorstop sandwiches, that haven't been matched since😄

It was so popular, I remember not being able to get a table many a time. The windows used to steam up with body heat.

Womencanlift · 06/03/2023 00:57

Going there was such a treat. It also felt so grown up because they put the crisps in the plate as a side rather than just a packet of crisps. The things you take notice of when you are about 8 😂

I would always get a cheese and coleslaw sandwich on brown bread and they were cut into triangles. So full of filling so you got your money’s worth

tolerable · 06/03/2023 00:59

i workt in one

imagemini · 06/03/2023 08:59

I'd completely forgotten about Oliver's! When did they close down?

Fluffygreenslippers · 06/03/2023 09:58

Yes there was one in my nearest town centre. I loved that place. It had all dark wood inside and cane (?) chairs. I remember going with my mum as a little kid.

Fluffygreenslippers · 06/03/2023 09:59

Flapjacker48 · 06/03/2023 00:34

@MyFavouritePlace Yes it was pretty wide spread as I went to one in my home town in North Wales and to one in London (Enfield) at Grandparents.

I also went to the Enfield one! I had no idea it was a chain.

markusdam · 06/03/2023 10:09

The one in Enfield was great as the takeout bit was downstairs and the whole upstairs was for eating in. I absolutely loved it in there was was a treat to go in!!!

ChessieFL · 06/03/2023 10:15

I’ve never heard of it, it obviously never reached my part of the South West!

Mrsjayy · 06/03/2023 10:19

Flapjacker48 · 05/03/2023 23:54

The sign had a small boy holding a basket of bread I think. Brown and yellow type colour scheme..

Stores had a bakery at the entrance and cafe tables at the back. I remember being taken there as a child in the 80s was a treat. Think it was a nationwide chain!

Yes we had an Olivers in fact maybe 2 in town we used to meet aunties and my gran on a Saturday I'd have a sausage roll and a milkshake 😀

Mrsjayy · 06/03/2023 10:20

I'm I'm central Scotland so definitely a chain .

Tront · 06/03/2023 10:22

Is this what was in Liverpool Central Station back in the day? I had a very dry chocolate muffin from there once. I was gutted because I'd always wanted to go in there because some of the seating was just below street level, which seemed impossibly classy to me in the late 80s.