Century-old bakery reopens in Cervià de les Garrigues

In the municipality of Cervià de les Garrigues, western Catalonia, the reopening of a century-old bakery has revived the energy in the town of about 600 inhabitants. In July, Sara Espasa reopened Cal Ventura, which had been closed to the public for the last 20 years.

"My father used to run it back in the day, and I felt bad that the village might be left without a bakery," Espasa told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Residents are "very happy" about the reopening in a town where "the loss of shops" is the norm. 

"This is what we were hoping for," said Teresa, a local resident. "Two stores have closed in a short time. Now, a young, energetic woman is opening one. We're happy." Other locals have expressed similar sentiments; If the bakery had not reopened, they would have had to travel to different towns to get bread. 

The decision to open the bakery was "risky," but Espasa felt there was a great need for the service in a village with an aging population, battling rural depopulation and a lack of generational succession.

Since reopening two weeks ago, Espasa said that "everyone in town has come by, and the response has been good."

Espasa also wants the shop to be a meeting place for locals. The bakery has an outdoor area with tables and chairs for customers.

"I interact a lot with people, and we share stories," Espasa said.