By Virginia Winder

If you visit Manaia in south Taranaki

You will find an enormous bakery

But before you get there

Breathe in the air

Sniff the heavenly smell of baking dough.

And see, there's a loaf of bread by the road

Raised by the people of the town

For a family of some renown

Past the band rotunda

You will hear the thunder

Of machines rumbling and thrumming

A factory alive with baking and bunning

Welcome to the base of Yarrows

Owned by Noel, a stately fellow

He was born to make his crust from bread

And keep Manaia's folk well fed

Way, way back, in older days

Noel's dad Alf and mother Grace

Bought a wee shop right in town

To sell bread and cakes all golden brown

That was in 1923

When food and folk were G.E. free

A year later young Noel was born

And the Yarrows empire began to form

It was a business built on doing right

They baked from dawn 'til 10 at night

Noel's daily jobs were to feed the fowls

Collect eggs; take bread to hotels

Cut kindling to heat the copper tub

And wield a spade to dig up spuds

His dad would turn these into yeast

Ready for a bun-fight feast

Then a war tore the world apart

The wee bakery lost its heart

Noel signed up, but never went away

He was on final leave on VJ Day

Even though he had Oxford hopes

Noel joined the bakery to learn the ropes

The young man and his brother Hec

Turned to equipment so hi-tech

Other bakers were soon left in their wake

As the Yarrows used machines to bake

A mixer, a moulder, a flour silo

These were the way to go

The company was always on the rise

Following the words of the wise

Advice from their late dad Alf

They kept building their wealth

By extending, investing

Planning and testing

Now they supply croissants to America

Subway rolls to Australasia

Yarrows, the Bakers

Are movers and shakers

Noel's an old man now

He's teaching his sons how

To take over the empire

Pick the best people to hire

Make fine bread and buns

And hoping his sons

Efficient John and outgoing Paul

Are at the helm for the long haul

To keep Manaia folk well fed

And maintain it as the home of bread