Feaist's Bakery

From Historical Hastings

Feaist's Bakery was a large local bakery chain with as many as thirteen outlets along the south coast by 1895. The company started out at number 6 Castle Hill Road from 1863 until around the 1950s. These premises were rebuilt in 1912 and again in 1935. These ​building​s were demolished in the 1960s to widen Castle Hill Road.

Advertising token
Source: British Museum

During the late 19th Century, they produced a number of 're-stamped' Napoleonic 10 centime coins bearing the name of the bakery as advertising tokens.

In addition to a steam-powered flour mill at Waterworks Road, with an adjoining corn, hay and straw stores, the business had a cafe, The Mikado at 21 Robertson Street (and 'The Scotch Cafe' at 39 Robertson Street[1]) and 1 Wellington Square, with retail branches at Hughenden Road, Mount Road, Queen's Road, Bohemia Road, Bexhill Road and Old London Road in Ore.[2]. The chain were placed into liquidation in 1916[3], being run in administration for a number of years, and eventually brought out by the founder of the Hastings & St. Leonards Observer, Frederick Parsons (1844-1900) eventually becoming Henry King & Feaist Ltd by 1936 - the two companies of Henry King and Feaist having co-operated in a social sense for a number of years beforehand[4].

By the close of WW2, the chain had twelve stores around the borough; these being at 38 London Road, 26 Robertson Street, 5b Queen's Road, 120 Queen's Road, 16 George Street, 79 Mount Road, 476 Old London Road, 9 Hughenden Road, 56 Sedlescombe Road North, 79 Bohemia Road,489 Bexhill Road and 6 Castle Hill Road, with the main bakery in Shepherd Street[5].

A further outlet appeared during the 1960s with Henry King & Feaist's Bakery taking over what was previously Whicker's Tea Rooms in the High Street.


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References & Notes