About Us
Steam Mills Cakes & Bakes is a small, home-run online bakery nestled in the heart of Somerset. We specialise in delivering handcrafted treats straight to your door, with a particular passion for rich brownies and our signature tiffin.
Every bake is made fresh to order using premium ingredients—Belgian chocolate, British butter, free-range eggs, and organic produce wherever possible. Quality and care are at the heart of everything we do.
Our name carries a legacy. Steam Mills Bakery was the original family bakery, proudly serving the community of Midsomer Norton from the 1930s to 1979. Owned by Walter Bertram (WB) and Dorothy Gregory, it was a place filled with the comforting aroma of bread and cakes.
Decades later, inspired by cherished memories and a lifelong love of baking, Steam Mills Cakes & Bakes was born. Just three miles from the original site it continues the Steam Mills tradition with a modern twist.
A History of Steam Mills
Steam Mills Bakery, our family baking business, dates back to the 1930s, when Walter Bertram Gregory (known as WB) and his wife Dorothy began making fresh bread in Midsomer Norton. Built beside an old steam-powered sawmill, the bakery took its name from the lane that led to a nearby farm.
WB began his baking journey in 1928, learning the craft in his uncle’s bakery as a teenager. When his uncle retired in the mid-1930s, WB opened his own shop on Charlton Road, Midsomer Norton. Trade flourished, and in 1937, his brother Ron joined the business. With demand rising, the bakery expanded to a new site next to the old mill, where the first purpose-built bakery and ovens were installed.
Despite the challenges of World War II, baking continued. After the war, a second building was added to house two Baker Perkins ovens, each capable of baking 220 loaves per batch. WB developed a continuous baking process, mixing a second batch while the first was proofing — a clever system that kept production flowing.
The bakery’s signature product was the 2lb tin loaf, though mornings also saw a variety of other breads: 1lb loaves, upright tins, Procea, brown, and bloomers. By 7:30 am, cooled bread was loaded into six delivery
vans, while cakes were baked in the afternoon for the next day.
The rise of sliced bread in the late 1950s introduced new challenges. Loaves needed to cool properly before slicing to avoid crushing, which extended the baking process. Ever inventive, WB automated the early mixing stage so dough was ready when staff arrived — earning everyone an extra
hour of sleep.
In later years, WB and Dorothy scaled down operations, supplying local shops and independent roundsmen. They retired in 1978. Today, the bakery has been redeveloped into housing but the original house still stands. It is in wonderful condition, thanks to the current owners, who have renamed it ‘The Old Bakery.’
Today, we are proud to relaunch the Steam Mills name. While our location has changed the heart of the business lives on and we are excited to share our story and our bakes with a new generation. Thank you for being
part of our journey.