Ashers is an award-winning bakery run by the fourth generation of a family – and has been in a fixture of Inverness for the past 55 years.
The Nairn-based bakers has 12 outlets throughout the north and north-east of Scotland – with two in the Highland capital.
The business has one at Inverness Bus Station and another on Union Street — relocating from Church Street four years ago.
Joint managing director Ali Asher has been involved since leaving college in 1988 and believes Inverness is a hub for Highland tourism.
The business offers a range of products including pies, rolls, sandwiches and sweet treats.
Bakery ‘is in the blood’ for Asher family
Mr Asher helped out at the business while he was a child and knew when he was older working there was “the right thing to do”.
He said: “It’s in the blood. The business has been on the go for almost 150 years now so you want to keep it going.
“My brother George re-joined about four years after me and so we went forwards from there.
“Did I choose the right career path? Yeah I think so. I didn’t have anything else in mind really.
“Ashers has been a success and it’s something we’re quite proud of.”
10 years ago, Ashers was the winner of the Scottish baker of the year award, with its morning rolls being named best in Scotland in 2019.
‘Thriving tourist market’ in Inverness
Mr Asher believes Inverness offers both quality and quantity when it comes to dining.
Despite being Nairn-based, he said being a longstanding business in the city has handed Ashers a “well established” status.
Mr Asher said: “Nairn isn’t far from Inverness so I’m sure at the time the family would have realised it made sense to open here too.
“We also have wholesale products in Scotmid and SPAR so pretty we’re well established here.
“There’s obviously a thriving tourist market in Inverness, something which a lot of other places don’t have as much of.
“Also, the quality of dining here is fantastic. It’s good for us to have such a high standard of competition.”
Despite many challenges for businesses in the past couple of years, Mr Asher is feeling positive about the present.
“All of our locations are busy in different ways. Recent years are quite hard to compare to — but I’d say Inverness is thriving.
“When Covid hit there was, of course, a decline in city centre visitors, but we’ve definitely seen the regular customer flow return.
“I’d say there has been a real difference in high street numbers in recent months.”
Mr Asher also expressed his disapproval for the ongoing Academy Street proposals.
He added: “Anything that kills footfall into the town centre and doesn’t have the support of local traders has to be reconsidered.
“It’s a deterioration of local democracy that is almost becoming the norm.
“Partial or part-time pedestrianisation of Church Street might be something more worthwhile considering if they insist on going down this route.”
Making sure the proof is in the pies
Mr Asher said the business will continue to focus on high quality while introducing new products along the way.
Hailing Ashers as a “traditional kind of business”, he knows how important it is to keep customers happy.
He said: “We rely on local people in all of our shops, whether it be the customers or indeed our staff.
“The local base is vital to ourselves, especially in winter months. We make sure we’re innovative so our regulars want to come back and try new things.
“But we also keep our focus on what we’re already good at and making sure we are good value and high quality.
“We love that our customers are invested in us and the story, we’ll keep ploughing on and doing our best.”
Conversation