AN opening date has been revealed for a new bakery in Cirencester which is due to open in an old bank in the heart of the town.

Cornish Bakery has announced it is planning to open in January next year - in the old HSBC unit which shut down in August last year.

The bakery - which will officially open on Monday, January 20 - will sell pasties, sausage rolls, cakes, croissants as well as hot drinks.

Officials say the new branch will create 15 new jobs - through a partnership with a local charity.

In a nod to the original use of the building, the bank’s historic vault, made of reinforced concrete and steel, will be kept as a place to store pasties.

Meanwhile, the original bank teller desk will be repurposed into the bakery’s display counter.

Inside the store there will also be seating for up to 42 people.

It comes after a planning application for signage, planters and awnings at the site were approved by Cotswold District Council in September.

The bakery will be managed by Michelle Gibson - who was promoted internally from the role of assistant manager at Bourton-on-the-Water.

It will be open from 8am to 8pm everyday from January 20, 2025.

Founder and owner Steve Grocutt said: “We are so delighted to open our newest Cornish Bakery, our 66th nonetheless, in the ‘capital of the Cotswolds’, Cirencester.

“We are very pleased to be bringing our unique philosophy and our values-driven culture to this key location.”

“It is a stunning building and we’re very pleased to bring it back to life as a special place for Cirencester people.

“We strongly believe a bakery should be part of the community so our new local 15 strong Cirencester team are currently actively seeking opportunities to work with organisations in the area including a designated charity partner which we will be announcing around our opening.”

The grade II building has stood for more than a century and is situated on the corner of the Market Place and Cricklade Street in Cirencester.

It was formerly known as Midland Bank before HSBC acquired the business in 1992.

The Historic England official list entry states the building dates back to 1915.

HSBC officials decided to shut the bank last year, following “a drop” in branch usage.

The closure was announced as part of a nationwide round of 114 branch closures - more than a quarter of the bank's network.