From Copland Family Bakers to Flour & Bean, there’s no shortage of bakeries in the Great Yarmouth Borough offering customers a fine selection of indulgent treats.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The bakery sells a variety of sweet and savoury snacks and sandwiches. Picture: Joseph NortonThe bakery sells a variety of sweet and savoury snacks and sandwiches. Picture: Joseph Norton (Image: Archant)

With this week marking National Baking Week, we've been asking readers of this newspaper to vote for their favourite bakery in the borough through our online questionnaire.

It can be revealed The New Norfolk Oven has claimed the title of Yarmouth's most popular bakery.

The shop in Hamilton Road, Great Yarmouth, was the clear winner and scooped more than 50pc of votes, with a total of 20.

Ye Old Bakery in Caister and the chain, Greggs, claimed joint second place picking up three votes each.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The New Norfolk Oven was voted the most popular bakery in the Great Yarmouth Borough. Picture: Joseph NortonThe New Norfolk Oven was voted the most popular bakery in the Great Yarmouth Borough. Picture: Joseph Norton (Image: Archant)

Owner of The New Norfolk Oven, Edward Shearing, believes the secret to success is the bakery's competitive prices with a number of snacks available for less than £1.

He said: "People come here and can't believe how well priced everything is.

"We don't want to price people out of affording their favourite treats.

"It's something we definitely take great pride in."

Mr Shearing grew up in Garfield Road - the street next to the bakery - and went their as a child when it was then called The Norfolk Oven.

The bakery shut down almost 15 years ago but the 40-year-old reopened the premises as The New Norfolk Oven six month after it had closed.

"It was such a shame that it closed because I remember going to the bakery every lunchtime when I was at high school," he said.

Mr Shearing got his first job at J.D Bales in Northgate Street after completing a catering course at East Coast College.

After a year at J.D Bales he left Yarmouth to go and work in a bakery in London.

Although the 40-year-old said his takings have remained steady for the last couple of years he believes other bakeries may be struggling because of the lack of fully qualified bakers.

He said: "We've had problems recruiting staff and I think other bakeries have been the same.

"A lot of people choose to go down the restaurant route which leaves a shortage of bakers."

Mr Shearing wakes up at 2am and works through to 10am six-days a week.

Despite the unsociable hours, the 40-year-old said he still loves his job.

"Baking is what I've loved doing from a young age and I even cook when I get home," he said.

"You can't beat the smell of a bakery."

Popular treats;

Whether it's choosing between sweet or savoury, a shortbread or lemon iced bun, the decision of what to have from a bakery can be a difficult one.

However for our readers, a vanilla slice was comfortably top of the list.

Mr Shearing said the spongy treat was also a firm favourite with his customers.

A chocolate oatie was our readers second most popular baked good with doughnuts and a hearty meat pasty tied for third with two votes each.

Although shopping trends have changed considerably over the last 10 to 15 years, our questionnaire found readers still find time to visit a bakery on a regular basis.

40pc of people who took part in our survey visit a bakery once a week or more to get their hands on their favourite treat, with 30pc of readers visiting three times a week or more.

12.5pc said they go to a bakery fortnightly with the same number of people visiting one 'every so often'.

5pc of people admitted to going to a bakery everyday - indulgent to say the least.

Jacqui Copland, manager of Copland Family Bakers in Gorleston, admitted fewer people visit her bakery in High Street than five years ago but said the bakery's stall on Great Yarmouth's market was very popular.