When Fitzbillies shut down in February this year, the loss hit students, fellows and alumni alike. Gradually rumours of a reopening emerged, then the rumours turned to reality, and at last new owners have been announced, with quite a plan in store.

The 90-year-old bakery will reopen under the same name and in the same location on Trumpington Street, but, under the ownership of Tim Hayward and Alison Wright, will undergo some noticeable developments.

“The opportunity to rebuild a Great British brand like this only comes up once in a lifetime,” said Mr Hayward, speaking to Varsity. “I try, as a rule, to avoid the word ‘iconic’ but it’s impossible in the case of Fitzbillies.”

They promise to keep the face of Fitzbillies “exactly as people know and love it” but will be reworking the brand in a way that they feel will improve the Fitzbillies experience.

This summer, they will be commencing a £100,000 redesign of the interior, with period shop-fittings for the cake shop. Part of the bakery kitchen will be given over to make room for extra seating, allowing diners to enjoy the smell of baking bun wafting straight from the oven.

In the restaurant section next door, a state of the art coffee machine will be installed, with more casual seating space and fast Wi-Fi access.

As regards the menu, Mr Hayward said: “I’m very committed to British food and revivifying our national food culture.”

As well as selling old favourites such as the Chelsea bun, they will stick entirely to traditional ‘cake shop’ recipes and British-themed bakery savouries.

“Call me old-fashioned but I’m imagining artery-threatening sausage rolls and some stonking pies,” he added.

They are also attempting to develop ‘The World’s Stickiest and Fruitiest Bun’ and have a team of bakers experimenting with potential recipes.

“The most important thing to us is that Fitzbillies continues to serve the most astonishing buns, baked on the premises hot and fresh,” Mr Hayward explained. “Cambridge deserves that.”

The bakery will be in safe hands, as the couple have a wealth of experience between them.

Mr Hayward certainly knows a lot about food; he has written about it for newspapers such as the Guardian and the Financial Times, and has even presented the Radio 4 Food Programme. He has also spent much time working in restaurants.

Alison Wright, meanwhile, was a marketing consultant who aims to use her experience to turn the brand around. She also grew up in Cambridge and therefore spent much time in Fitzbillies as a child.

The couple are still working with the Listed Buildings team, and several months of building work is in store, but if all goes to plan Fitzbillies will reopen at the end of the summer.

Keep up to date with developments through Facebook, twitter (@fitzbillies) and www.chelseabuns.com.