Chowen's Cake Shops

[warwick]

Any one with information ( preferably photos) on any of the Chowen's Ltd Cake shops In West Brom or the South of Brum, please let me details, as I am trying to add more meat to the family history.

[Phil]

Hi Warwick

I have to admit I had never heard of Chowens cakes. So I looked them up in Kelly's Directory for 1950.

This is what I found listed. Cowens & Co Bakery 599 Bearwood Rd Smethwick (would this be the West Brom one) and Chowens & Co Bakery 108 High St Kings Heath (south Birmingham).

I hope this helps you.

Phil

[9teen48]

Hi Warwick,

I remember the Chowen's cake shop in King's Heath in the 1950s and 1960s. It was on the corner of High Street and York Road, opposite the Hare & Hounds pub.  They did great cream cakes and nice cottage loaves.  Can't remember when it closed but here is a picture of the premises in 2005.  It is the buidling with the tower, next to British Heart Foundation shop.  I will check to see if I can find any period shots of the cake shop.

Regards,

Brian

[warwick]

Thanks for the recent photo . Any luck with the older ones?

[9teen48]

Hi Warwick,
 
See my reply on the Old Pictures of King's Heath thread.  I am still looking, but if you can, please let me know the period when your family had the KH shop and I'll dig into it.
 
Brian

[Lily C.]

I don’t know if you’re still interested in this subject.  Chowens lived in Dartmouth Street.  Their daughter Sandra or Zandra was my mother’s best friend. 

[9teen48]

Hi Lily C,
Thanks for your interesting comment.  It has been some years since this topic was active, but yes, I am still very interested in any information relating to the old shops in Kings Heath.  I passed the KH Chowens shop on my way to and from school in the 1950s and my Nan used to buy a box of cream cakes there to take to her sister in Redditch when we went to visit. We usually bought a cottage loaf from Chowens at the weekend.  Happy days.

Can you recall anything else about the family and any of their shops ?
Brian

[maxberan]

There was a Michael Chowen in my year at Birmingham University (Civ Eng 1963). He was definitely a member of the bakery family which gave rise to some teasing. I notice the name as a supporter of the "Everything to Everybody: Your Shakespeare, Your Culture" exhibition being held at the Library Of Birmingham in late 2022.