This building has a long history associated with bakers and in the 19th century it was a highly regarded shop.

John Oswin

John Oswin was born in Stamford in 1804. He owned 7 Red Lion Square which was described as a Freehold warehouse. He certainly traded in wines and spirits and tobacco.

In 1844, on the occasion of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert's visit to Stamford, the christening of the Marquess of Exeter's daughter, Victoria, was held.

Oswin was chosen to make a christening cake. It weighed 600 pounds (270 Kg) was 2 feet 2 inches high (66 cm) and measured 57 inches (144 cm)in circumference.

In 1851 he was listed as a grocer and baker living there with his wife, 6 children and 9 employees.

He died in 1861 and the premises seem to have ceased to be a shop for a while.

Frederick Neeve and his wife both came from the eastern counties.
Frederick was a master maker, cake maker and confectioner and his wife Florence had worked for a confectioner in Ipswich before they married in 1925.
They moved into no. 64 High Street in 1926. Initially, they also lived there but they had moved to 92 Casterton Road by 1939.

Florence's younger brother, Charles Parsley, went into partnership with them and ran the Central Restaurant from 1933 at 7 Red Lion Square.
In 1939 he was living at Montaigne, New Cross Road.

In the 1939 Register (prepared to record the population just before the World War Two), Charles Parsley was described as a baker and restaurant proprietor in partnership with Frederick Neave.

By 1956 Charles was running the Central Restaurant as a separate business - C D Parsley (Caterers) Ltd.
Charles' son Derek and wife Glenda took over and ran the business until the 1980s.

They had a very successful catering business. It was called the Central Restaurant.

After the Parleys retired, the shop and restaurant was owned by Jo and Nick Everard.
It is still a confectioners and restaurant today.