A couple who met while both were working in the Scottish Highlands have opened a new bakery shop in the heart of Bradford on Avon.
Clare Mansfield and Fred Mackenzie have launched the new Lark Bakery in the former Cru Wines store and say they are already winning regular customers.
Fred, 42, and Clare, 37, who live at Conkwell, moved to Wiltshire from Scotland just under a year ago.
After training as a baker in Pitlochry, Fred met Clare while both were working for an organic food production company.
They have a one-year-old daughter Hebe, who attends a local day nursery school.
“I fell in love with baking bread and pastries and we decided to set up our own bakery in the South West where there are a great many food producers,” said Fred.
“We fell in love with Bradford on Avon because it has a butcher, a greengrocer, a cheese shop and an ethical organic food shop.
“We felt there was a gap in the market for an artisan bakery and we thought we could add to the town and make it even better for the locals and visitors.”
The couple opened the Lark Bakery in Silver Street three weeks ago – the name reflects Fred having to get ‘up with the larks’ at 4am to go to work.
Since opening, the Lark Bakery has been busy producing up to 100 loaves of bread and 250 pastries every day.
Fred added: “We make everything from scratch on the premises.
“It has been lovely and everyone has been very supportive. We have been thrilled at how it is going so far and how receptive the town has been.
“So far, it has been very good; we have been really busy and are making more each day.
“We are trying to work out what the appetite is. I’ve already had to buy a couple of extra fridges to try and keep up.”
Fred is trying to source locally wherever possible, using milk from Wiltshire and stoneground flour from Dorset, as well as roasted coffee from Radstock in Somerset.
Locals have welcomed the additions to the town’s retail shopping offer, saying the bakery is just what the town needed.
One local added: “We just need a deli to complete the town.”
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