Home > Cambridgeshire > Cambridge > Bun Shop Bun Shop
Picture Source: Scott Gardiner
The Bun Shop was situated on St Tibbs Row, near the corner with Downing Street (it should be noted that St Tibbs Row is today in a different position, slightly to the west of where it lies today). It was noted for a huge mural in the bar on the party wall to the neighbouring property.This pub was demolished in 1975.
Source: Mick Sweeney
Some of my family used to run "The Bun Shop" in St Tibbs Row, Cambridge, before it was demolished. One of the Landlords was Jim Gardiner (My Great Uncle). Several of my family worked at the pub, either pulling pints, cleaning lines, or collecting dray. I'm not sure exactly when he took over running the place, but I think it was early/mid sixties (if not before), and he ran it right up to its demolition in the 1970s as far as I know. The tradition of giving out hot cross buns at Easter dated back many years and is where the pub apparently took its name from. What actually came first - the name or the tradition - who knows.
Scott Gardiner (March 2023)
Between 1967 and 1970 I worked on the construction of "The New Museums site" in Red Lion Street and The Bun Shop was frequented most lunch times by a lot of the building workers. There also operated a night shift when the road could be closed in order to erect the precast concrete beams that made up most of the construction. I drove the tower crane and along with the rest of the night crew would make our way to the pub at 10pm for our evening break. The Bun Shop was always busy with a mix of "Undergrads" and guys off our site. Jim the landlord was a great bloke. Happy days.
Geoff Brown (April 2024)
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Name Dates Comments Leonard Johnson 1957/1960 Served in the RAF at Waterbeach visited the pub regularly over this period of time. Dawn Threadgold was a member of the staff when I was there lovely girl and very pleasant visit there on Boat Race Days had good times there Roger Jackson 1970/1973 I was at Cambridge university from 1970 to 1973. One year a rag stunt was to drink the Bun Shop dry. We succeeded but I was so drunk I fell off a bicycle as I started riding off. It was a good thing I did and then left the bike as I hadn’t actually cycled there so it was someone else’s bike.
Other Photos
Date of photo: 1972	Picture Source: Colin Rosenstiel
Oliver Zangwill, Carolus Oldfield & Kenneth Craik, c1937
Hot cross buns for sale, 1968 Jim Gardiner, publican far right of photo.	Picture Source: Scott Gardiner