For those who patiently queue to get their hands on the fresh-baked sourdough loaves and croissants at Altrincham Market's Lovingly Artisan, this news will come as little surprise. The popular bakery has just been named as the Best in Britain.
Lovingly Artisan tops a list of the "2023 Bakers' Dozen" - listing the best artisan bakeries in Britain as voted for by industry experts. Also making the list were Manchester's Pollen Bakery, which has sites at New Islington and Kampus in the city, in at number 10.
Husband and wife team Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor are behind the Lovingly Artisan bakery, having first brought their range of organic sourdough, loaves and pastries to Altrincham Market eight years ago. Claiming the top spot in the Baker's Dozen awards comes off the back of their renowned £5 Danish Rogbrod named "Great British Loaf of the Year" just before Christmas.
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Aidan, 61, said the award was particularly special as the votes came from 100 other artisan bread specialists across the UK. He said: "We were totally shocked to be included in the top 13 let alone being voted the UK’s number one artisan bakery. Being named in the top spot is even more special for us knowing that our industry peers have voted for us.
"Hopefully the fact that we are trying to create the very best bread we can using the finest ingredients available and to put quality, wholesome, healthy breads at the heart of every family table again, has really resonated with them because it’s exactly what they are trying to do too.''
Their customers are full of gushing approval in online reviews too. One hailed it "fabulous bread" while another said: "Just the best sourdough bread in the North."
The Lovingly Artisan team bake everything fresh each morning at the crack of dawn at their bakery in the Lake District, driving their goods down to Altrincham every day (bar Sundays and Mondays) for an 8am start. Fans know to get down to the market early to get their hands on the most popular loaves, croissants and saffron buns.
They almost always sell out by early afternoon at their two sites in Altrincham - one in the indoor market and one on the adjacent Central Way. Their most popular items include their signature organic sourdough tin for £5, and their moreish £4.50 cheese and marmite sourdough that has won a Great Taste award.
They used to have a separate bakery in Altrincham too, but the soaring cost of energy meant it made more sense to consolidate all of their baking at their main bakery in Kendal this year, and bring the breads down to their loyal customer base at the town's burgeoning market early each morning.
The Lovingly Artisan story all started with a tiny bakery opened by Aidan in Kendal, and he would take his wares to sell at Oxenholme Train Station. Train passengers began to "smell the bread and hunt them out" and a loyal fanbase grew.
Aidan said: "We started the bakery 12 years ago and the idea was to have a small sourdough artisan bakery, we didn't want to borrow any money from the banks from day one. We started in a tiny little garage on Oxenholme Train Station, and that's actually how we met Jen and Nick Johnson of Alty Market.
"They saw us at the train station and asked us if we would come down and supply some of their traders at Alty Market, that's when they were just starting out as well.
"People would smell the bread baking and come and find us and that led to a purpose-built premises in Kendal. But when we had Storm Desmond in Cumbria and all the floods [in December 2015], it forced our hand, and that's when we started supplying straight away to Altrincham. We started with just a little table, then soon started selling wholesale to cafes and restaurants in Manchester city centre.
"We have such loyal lovely cuistomers and to be part of a community like this, and to see it developed to what it is now, and what a foodie place that it has become it's lovely. Alty is as much as part of the business as Cumbria for us. It's worked very well."
Aidan said they are passionate about "real breadmaking" right back to how the grain is grown in the soil. He said: "Our whole ethos, and the way we've risen to the top, is we have a very long-standing relationship with a farmer in Cumbria in heritage tall-straw grains, it's combining those very special flowers into our breads that makes them very distinctive. That whole ethos of heritage varieties and honouring the skill of growing, it's become very very relevant, the big thing now is sustainable farming and it all fits in with that.
"Our main principle and guiding thought was that we want to make bread that's fit to be back at the centre of the table. Modern bread processing has declined the value of bread.
"We created this business with such a clear vision about being a sourdough bakery. When we first started it wasn't considered to be a thing that you could open a bakery just baking sourdough.
"But sourdough is not a passing fad - it's about how food is going to change, people are starting to consider food in a different way. People are starting to have open eyes about what they eat.
Next up for the breadmakers is launching a "bread truck" which will enable the team to head to Manchester food festivals and other events.
Catherine are Aidan are up at around 3.30am every morning starting the baking process, with Catherine then heading down to Altrincham. She says she loves to see the community vibe of the market.
Catherine, 54, said: "It does get really really busy, the town has a great community spirit in general. We see kiddies in buggies to the power walking runners with their four legged friends, it's a great mix.
"We love it, we absolutely love it. We do generally sell out, but we try to pace the day. What's lovely about a market is that people want to have conversartions with you, people want to chat and exchange ideas and we are always here to help and give advice about their own breadmaking."
Aidan, 61, and Catherine, 54, the commute for us, it's only an hour and ten minutes from Kendal a lot of people it takes them that long to get across Manchester!
Up at 3.30. There's nothing nicer than working a day on the market. We're really lucky to have nice market stalls. What's lovely about a market is that people want to have conversations with you. People want to chat, to exchange ideas, people come and ask for we're always giving help and advice about their own breadmaking."
The 2023 Bakers’ Dozen in full
The Bakers’ Dozen was revealed at the first ever meeting of The Artisan Collective, held at The Compound, in Birmingham sponsored by Bako, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment, Craggs & Co, and Dawn Foods. Voting was from more than 100 specialists, including artisan bakers, consultants, suppliers, and lecturers, who were asked to vote for their favourite artisan bakeries.
Amy North, British Baker editor added: ''The Bakers’ Dozen celebrates the best of the best. Each bakery on the list has been recognised by others in the industry as a beacon of dedication, passion, and skill, as demonstrated through lovingly handcrafted products and the people who make them.''
1. Lovingly Artisan, Cumbria & Altrincham
2. The Street Bakeshop, Basingstoke
3. E5 Bakehouse, London
4. Bread Source, Norfolk
5. Bread Ahead Bakery, London
6. Northern Rye, Newcastle upon Tyne
7. Poppyseed Bakery, Eastbourne
8. Peter Cooks Bread, Hereford
9. The Dusty Knuckle, London
10. Pollen, Manchester
11. Fabrique, London
12. Levain and Cherry, Birmingham
13. Freedom Bakery, Glasgow
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