The boss of a well-loved Fife bakery has accused politicians of not learning from past mistakes, leaving town centres to ruin.
Fisher & Donaldson director Chloe Milne wants to see more help for businesses, particularly in towns like St Andrews.
Introducing a park-and-ride, providing more parking and changing the way business rates are handled could all benefit small, independent companies like hers, she said.
Famed for its popular fudge donut, the bakery has operated in Fife and Dundee since the end of the First World War.
But Chloe worries inaction from those with the power to change things are not doing enough to help
“We have all watched our town centres changing for the worse for decades now and it feels like politicians are not learning from past mistakes or listening to businesses – despite our warnings sadly coming to fruition again and again,” she said.
“Town centres are steadily fading away, driven by rising business rates that push firms out, and poorly planned pedestrianisation that fails to consider alternative access.
“Meanwhile, out-of-town businesses benefit from lower rates and ample car parking, attracting customers who prefer convenience, especially in Scotland’s cold and wet climate.”
‘How exactly are they supposed to shop locally?’
She continued: “While we support reducing cars on the road, inadequate public transport makes it difficult for people outside walking distance to access town centres.
“Councils are reducing car parking and pedestrianising entire town centres, but without robust public transport and bike links these areas are unlikely to survive.
“St Andrews is the perfect example of this in action — dozens of parking spaces on South Street have been turned over to additional outdoor seating for bars and restaurants and, while this is helping hospitality businesses, others we have spoken to have only seen detrimental effects to their own.
“Whether it be businesses like our own whose customers are put off due to reduced parking availability or the healthcare providers whose patients can no longer get to them because parking bays (including disabled spaces) have been removed.
“We would love to see politicians enter into an open conversation with businesses, offering us the opportunity to scrutinise the evidence behind the decisions being made.
“For residents and visitors who don’t live within walking distance of St Andrews town centre, how exactly are they supposed to shop locally now?
“Are there plans for a park and ride? A free bus transfer from Leuchars railway station?
“If we continue on the path we are on we will be left with a town centre that caters only to those people who are eating and drinking out – and there will be fewer and fewer independent retail shops.”
Fisher & Donaldson’s rich Fife history
Fisher & Donaldson was founded in 1919 by brothers in law Willie Fisher and Davie Donaldson.
After returning from World War I, they decided to use their demob money to start a business together.
They chose to open a bakery and their first premises was on the Bonnygate in Cupar.
Mr Fisher’s nephew Alexander Milne assisted in the bakery for a number of years before leaving to gain experience at other bakeries, returning in 1942 and buying the business from his uncle.
Fisher & Donaldson is now in its fifth generation and remains under the ownership and management of the Milne family.
Siblings Chloe, Ben and Jade Milne are the current directors of the business, which employs around 150.
Bakery’s wide range of customers
Chole and the Fisher & Donaldson team take great care serving their customers, and claim the secret to their success is consistency.
Chloe added: “We have such a wide variety of customers, most of whom we are fortunate to say are very passionate about our business, brand and products.
“Different shops have different clientele, so in St Andrews for example we have a lot of tourists as well as wonderful locals and students.
“In Cupar and Dundee we have lots of local customers, many of whom visit us multiple times per week.
“Dundee also is seeing growth in tourist visitors through the cruise ships.
“And we think the secret to Fisher & Donaldson’s success is consistency.
“Focus on our product, the quality of the bakes we produce, and a commitment to consistently and providing a fantastic experience for our customers is what we do.
“We invest in our wonderful teams of staff and they do incredible work day in and day out with the sole aim of producing a fantastic product for our customers to enjoy.
“I believe we do this incredibly well, and due to that we’ve built up an incredibly loyal customer base over the decades.
“And to add to that, nothing beats our fudge doughnut.”
Asked about the biggest opportunities going forward, she responded: “We have seen customers values change over the last few years, with more of a focus on quality and local products over mass-produced and mass-consumption.
“We see this as a huge opportunity for us to let our customers know that we have been hand-making our products since our business began and are championing the use of the finest ingredients from local producers and suppliers, wherever possible.”
Conversation