Baps’ rise to fame

John O’Toole opened Nice Baps bakery in Henlow on Wednesday, March 23 and residents and shoppers soon noticed its double entendre meaning.

But when 12 offended people signed a petition against the name and a schoolteacher from Raynsford Lower School in Henlow wrote a critical letter the shop’s name was splashed across the news.

John, who lives in Lower Stondon, said: “I’ve suddenly become famous yesterday and today! I’ve had everybody in – newspapers, television and radio. I’ve never had any publicity like this before.

“I didn’t expect this at all. I’ve got another shop in Caddington which has been running for two and a half years and there have been no complaints. Everyone is really cheerful and it’s great.

“My wife thought of the name three or four years ago and we went with it in Caddington. Someone said we should call this one Two Nice Baps or Nice Baps Too but we decided to call it Nice Baps because from a business point of view it’s quite straight forward to have the same name.

“I’ve got three children and they think it’s brilliant. They can read into it what they want.

“I’ve been accused of being sexist but I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone and I haven’t offended 99.9 per cent of people.

Henlow resident, Norman Price, likened the amount of attention the Nice Baps title is attracting to “a storm in a teacup.”

John added that though it is always good to have publicity for the shop it is taking a lot of his time.

The High Street shop itself, which sells freshly made rolls, bread, sandwiches and other foods, has been busy from day one and sales are going well.

Speaking about the letter, a spokesman for Raynsford Lower School said: “The views in this instant were those of the individual teacher and not those of the school.”