Located in the heart of Harford County, the Bel Air Bakery has been spreading sweet memories for many of the local families in the area since 1954. After about 60 years of business, and a dedicated following of loyal customers, the Hamilton family has decided to retire; closing their doors officially at 4:00 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2015.

Having celebrated so many milestones with so many of the people and families in the area, the bakery will be sorely missed.

“We apologize to those of you who are saddened by our closing, and we want you to know that this was the toughest decision we have ever made and we realize that it may be difficult for many of you to understand,” stated Jim Hamilton, owner of Bel Air Bakery. “The one thing that hard work and commitment has not been able to give us is time.”

Closing the bakery to focus more time on family, the Hamiltons will miss all of the people that made the bakery their home away from home – people who will miss the shop just as much.

“We’re originally from New York, where small bakeries were practically on every block,” says local resident and mother, Deborah Visconti. “It was a nice feeling to know you had a local family bakery like that nearby and we’re sorry to see it close!”

It is sorrowful to bid farewell to a staple of Bel Air’s history. For such a small business, Bel Air bakery had had a huge impact on its community and the people in it.

Although heartbreaking to see the shop go, its memory will live on for everyone in Bel Air as a place of delicious food, great people, and, above all, family.