IT MAY have taken more than 80 years, but an Oxfordshire bakery is now the proud holder of a prestigious award.

Nash’s Bakery, of Priory Lane, Bicester, which has shops in Bicester, Oxford and Chipping Norton, has been awarded the Bakers’ Marque – one of only 12 bakeries in the country to do so.

The Bakers’ Marque is presented by the City of London’s Worshipful Company of Bakers. It is given to firms that use local ingredients and make products from scratch. Judges also look at facilities, staff skills and how the business supports the community.

Nash’s was founded in 1930 by William Nash, who died in 2007, aged 103.

Graham Nash, who took over the business from his father, said: “For Nash’s to be judged by the Worshipful Company of Bakers to be one of the very best bakeries in the country is hugely pleasing and is testament to the hard work and dedication of every employee of the firm.”