THE owner of a Worcester bakery has used social media to not only survive but thrive in the current tough economic climate.

Sam Barriscale, who owns Ma Bakers in Cranham Drive, Warndon, said the family firm, founded in 1966, had used Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and text messaging to promote and run the business day-to-day.

Alarm bells were ringing in the city about the future of traditional, home-grown bakeries after the closure of Foregate Patisserie, but Mr Barriscale says there is a future for these businesses if they can learn to adapt and use technology to their advantage. Foregate Patisserie closed the doors of its original Foregate Street store on Monday, June 17, after being in the city since the 1970s. Its shop in St John’s has been taken over by Court Road Bakery in Malvern and a third outlet in Broad Street has also closed.

However, Mr Barriscale, aged 38, said: “It’s very sad to see a bakery close, but there are other bakeries like us, evolving and changing with the world, looking for new ideas and recipes, listening to their customers. “There are new, small bakeries opening all over the country, although I think we’re the only bakery in Worcester that bakes on site.”

His mother and father opened the bakery together in Cranham Drive, running it until Mr Barriscale senior died in 1993. His mother carried on alone at the bakery until last year.

“We completely overhauled the bakery and changed all the bread to use fermented doughs, which means that half of the mix contains a 12-hour ferment that boosts the flavour,” said Mr Barriscale. “We also removed all the fat from our loaves, making them healthier and suitable for vegans.”

Over the last two months, the company has started doing commercial deliveries, supplying the Anchor Inn in Diglis, the Bank House Hotel, the Diglis House Hotel, the Filling Station, the Plough, the Conservatory, the Dragon Inn and the Paul Pry, among others.

Mr Barriscale said: “We use all forms of communication available to us, so you can place orders via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, text or phone, and companies can text me at 10am at night and change their order.”

He said Helen King, of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, had been very helpful in getting them a stall at the Victorian Fayre.