PANARY

Craft baking courses, wood-fired ovens, and consultancy

Newsletter 72 – Retirement, selling PANARY, buy my book

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22 / 6 / 2026

Dear Panarians,

I had promised to write again to keep you informed about the sale of PANARY and what will happen at Cann Mills about replacing me. I feel as though I have barely retired despite being in my thrird month of retirement.

Both success at selling and the prospect of being replaced by a pro baker will affect the outcome about whether I am having a sale of bakery equipment to you, my faithful newsletter readers. A buyer or a new tenant at Cann Mills may require all that I have. So it’s a case of ‘watch this space’.

If I do not get a buyer the typical things I shall have to sell will be tins, baskets, linen, scales, etc.

BUY THE BOOK, THE DORSET BAKER

Sales are going well. I have now sold over half of those published. If sales romp along during the next year I shall hope to bring out Volume II, which is all the material that was culled from the first book since it was deemed too big and too expensive for my budget.

Buy your copy today.

PANARY is for Sale

I do have a package to sell, to suit a person who knows enough about breadmaking to fancy teaching classes, but it is important to stress that the sale is without premises. Regarding Cann Mills, they are offering a tenancy and they may prefer a general baker rather than a baker who fancies running a school like PANARY has been.

Here is the link to peruse what I am selling at the asking price of £11,000.

Book collection for sale

I have over 50 books on baking – some famous texts, some first editions too, some obscure books for pro bakers. I would prefer for it to remain as a collection. Asking price – £500

Thank you, Panarians, that’s it until I report again on the sale of PANARY.

Good baking, Paul

Newsletter 71- Book, Retirement Sale

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Dear Panarians,

Soon my newsletters will draw to a quiet close as I hang up the gloves. No, not boxing gloves, oven gloves. Indeed it will be strange to find myself baking at home in a tinny little oven!

This newsletter talks about what little is left of the ‘Swansong courses’. It urges you to buy my book if you have not already done that. It encompasses the near future concerning the possible sale of PANARY.

BUY THE BOOK, THE DORSET BAKER

Sales are going well. I have now sold half of those published. If sales romp along during the next year I shall hope to bring out Volume II, which is all the material that was culled from the first book since it was deemed too big and too expensive for my budget.

Buy your copy today.

PANARY is for Sale

I do have a package to sell, to suit a person who knows enough about breadmaking to fancy teaching classes, but it is important to stress that the sale is without premises. Regarding Cann Mills they are offering a tenancy and they may prefer a general baker rather than a school like PANARY has been.

Here is the link to peruse what I am selling at the asking price of £11,000.

SWANSONG COURSES

Nearly booked out!

At the time of writing there are only two courses that still have places left:

ITEMS FOR SALE

This handsome and sturdy Belgian-made proving rack has come here from South Africa where it was doing time in bakeries. On it is the original manufacturer’s plate. For sale £310

  • Linen for sale: coarse unbleached linen (also known as ‘the baker’s linen’). 80 cm wide off the loom, £10 per metre
  • Suede oven gloves, gauntlet style, PANARY logo, £26/pair

That’s it Panarians. Enjoy your baking, Paul

PANARY for sale

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PANARY is a small one-man business which has been devoted to the propagation of crafted bread, with a ‘no added chemicals’ approach to all the baking. It was founded by Paul Merry in the mid-nineties. Its main activity has been running breadmaking courses, always taught by Paul, at Cann Mills, Shaftesbury.

The courses have been intimate and personal affairs, with a maximum number of students being 6, and only 4 after the Covid pandemic period.

PANARY has also been available for short consultancy contracts since Paul’s many years of experience as a commercial baker from the 1970’s to the ‘90’s gave him the all-round knowledge to offer consultancy services.

What is for sale?

  1. The name ‘PANARY’. A highly regarded brand in the field of breadmaking courses, particularly throughout the south of England.
  2. A 900-strong mailing list, comprising all who have been on a course plus others who have applied to join the list after viewing Paul’s website, www.panary.co.uk.
  3. A portfolio of dozens of bread recipes that were the backbone of PANARY courses. The recipes are written by Paul in his own style, offering basic step-by-step instructions as well as warnings about what can go wrong at times. There are yeasted breads, sourdough, and yeasted pastries. These recipes also feature snippets of history that amplify the students’ appreciation of what they are making.
  4. Baker’s equipment – various items, some specific to teaching, others are general items needed by any baker.

There is no property or premises for sale since PANARY has operated as a tenant of the Stoate family at Cann Mills, Shaftesbury. However, with Paul’s retirement, the Stoates are keen to have the small courtyard bakery occupied by another tenant baker

ASKING PRICE for the sale of PANARY: £11,000.

Newsletter 70 – Book, retirement courses, sale

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December 15th, 2025

Dear Panarians,

As the festive season envelops us and draws the year to a close, I look back to review a good year. The highlight was, of course, getting my book published in June. 500 were printed, half now sold. Below I shall give the link for buying it.

Following the book I announced my retirement, and gave notice of a group of ‘Swansong courses’ to be held in February.

Now, in this newsletter, I wish to announce that PANARY is for sale.

BUY THE BOOK, ‘THE DORSET BAKER’

This book is not only a manual for becoming a good baker, it also distils my fifty years of baking, involving my interest in the history of the craft and wheat, and writing for the layman about the science that underpins fermentation. It is a detailed guide to bread making, at times offering tips to professional bakers too.

Here is the link for buying the book:

PANARY IS FOR SALE

The Stoate family millers want to replace me with a baker. The incumbent will, like me, be a tenant who will be expected to bake several days a week. If the baker also wants to teach courses, I have practical aids to sell: a portfolio of many different courses with accompanying daily programme and recipes; a mailing list of well over 1000 potential students; miscellaneous baker’s hardware and equipment.

Anybody attracted – contact me to find out precisely what I have to sell, and contact Ollie Stoate to discuss a tenancy.

SWANSONG GROUP OF COURSES

In early March, I may offer again those one-day courses that sold out quickly. Then…..retirement!

BAKER’S TOPIC – an excerpt from the book on DOUGH MAKING, with a full description of the English kneading method.

Merry Christmas, Panarians, and enjoy your kneading in the new year.

Paul

Contact PANARY

To contact Paul Merry, or speak with him, please ring (0)7764 568 397, email using ,  or visit our contact page.