Bakers have offered bread and cakes for sale in Ísafjörður since 1871 when the foundations were laid for Gamla Bakaríið (the old bakery), which still operates today. The first bakers were Norwegians, Danes and Germans, but local bakers soon learned the trade from them. Prior to and around the middle of the last century there were 5 bakeries operating in Ísafjörður.  The bakeries mostly followed Danish traditions but additionally one of their staple products was hard tack, rye biscuits, for sailors. Bakeries have come and gone in Ísafjörður but Gamla Bakaríið, the town's oldest company, is still a landmark in the town centre and there is also another bakery, Bakarinn, on Hafnarstræti.