Ex-bakery boss takes over sandwich shop as it reopens

The New York Sandwich Company, in the harbour area of the High Street’s east end, has been taken over by John Simpson and his daughter Brooke.

John, formerly a director with the much-missed Carlton Bakery, has launched the venture after the local favourite went under earlier this year.

With the sandwich shop’s previous owner, Sharon Munro, moving on, it provided an opportunity for the Simpsons to take on a new challenge.

Brooke says the reopening on Monday proved popular, with customers keen to get out as restrictions are gradually lifted.

She said: “We decided to move in and give it a go.

“We do the pies at the Rovers, which we’ve loved doing for the last three years, so we thought we’d expand.

“Sharon’s got a great business here, and she’s built it up really well.

“We want to expand a bit more and have our own pies freshly baked, and develop it that way.

“We opened on Monday and it was good.

“We were a lot busier that we thought we’d be.

“There were quite a few people came in, it’s been great.

“There’s not a lot of places open in Kirkcaldy just now, so we thought ‘if not now, then when?’.”

Brooke says that despite turning 21 this year she gained a great deal of experience working at Stark’s Park which helped prepare her for the new role.

“I can’t thank the Rovers enough, because the experience has been great. It’s a great atmosphere and I love doing it. 

“We’ve always wanted to expand, and my dad has 39 years’ experience in catering and food manufacturing.”

But the sadness of the Carlton’s demise also provided a new opportunity for John and Brooke.

She said: “Obviously he lost his other job through the lockdown, so he was looking to start something up and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity. 

“He was really devastated about the Carlton closing and he’d done that for a good few years.

“He’s worked in Kirkcaldy all his life, but this is a bit different.”

Once Brooke and John are settled in, they hope to make a few changes

“Eventually we’ll be making more freshly-baked stuff on the premises and more homemade items.

“Because of coronavirus, we know that when people go back to work it might not be ideal for them to go out and get their lunch, so we’d like to start a lunchtime delivery service, which will be coming up soon.”