Baking has always been in Jimmy Griffin's blood. As a child, he spent time in the family business watching his father baking fresh bread and cakes. He often attempted to join in, cooking rock buns that, he says, were "literally rocks".

Established in 1876, Griffin's Bakery has long been one of Galway's most recognisable businesses. Following his Leaving Certificate exams, Jimmy decided he would follow in his great grandfather's footsteps and moved to Dublin to study bakery production at Dublin Institute of Technology. When his parents retired, Jimmy took over the Middle Street bakery and has managed the growing business ever since.

Jimmy says that his day-to-day duties include organising production at the bakery, dealing with customer requests as well as overseeing speciality and corporate work. He says that the job is very varied and although a lot of work would be in administration, he occasionally rolls up his sleeves and helps out with making cakes for special occasions.

With the city undergoing large-scale development in recent times, Jimmy says that he is sad that so many family businesses have been forced to close down.

"The market has changed a lot and this has meant that a lot of family-owned businesses have been forced to close. These days, in order to survive, you have to either be very small or very big. A lot of the signature, recognisable businesses in Galway have closed and a lot of chains have been moving in. Shop Street is in danger of turning into Grafton Street, if it continues the way it is going," he says.

Like any other business, the bakery market is constantly evolving and Jimmy has introduced many different lines to keep up with customer demand. As well as the traditional breads and cakes on offer, Griffins have moved into the niche market of speciality produce.

"There has also been a huge demand for organically produced breads and specially dietary products, such as gluten free and spelt breads. Also with emigration in the 80s, a lot of people were coming home to Ireland with different tastes and wanting more flavours. That is something that we keep in mind with the bakery and, when I am travelling, I always keep my eyes open for new products we could introduce to Galway," he says.

Outside of the bakery business, Jimmy has a number of interesting hobbies. He took up the martial art of Judo at the age of 11, and now teaches classes to children at Galway Judo Centre. Flying is another passion of Jimmy's and he is the proud owner of a private pilot's license.

A keen traveller, scuba diving is another one of Jimmy's hobbies. Jimmy has dived all over the world including Thailand, Barbados, Canaries and our own Killary Harbour. Jimmy says that his favourite holiday destination is Puerto Rico as it is a small, family-orientated resort that is perfect for a holiday with his wife and three children.

Looking to the future, Jimmy has big plans for the bakery and says that he would love to expand the business into a café or restaurant. But, he says, regardless of any expansion, he doesn't plan on moving away from Shop Street.

"We have a great team here and we have been in this premises for a long time, so I don't think we will be going anywhere!" he says.

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