Harrogate’s The Secret Bakery has expanded and launched a second branch in Knaresborough.

The shop and cafe, in Market Place, sells baked goods, including artisan bread, cakes and sandwiches, which are all made at the Knaresborough Road site.

The new outlet, which also serves drinks, including coffee, is being run by the bakery’s co-owner Jane Spencer, a former teacher from Keighley.

She said:

“This shop used to be The Reading Room and we used to deliver bread here from our shop in Harrogate. When they decided to close, we thought it was a great opportunity for us to open in Knaresborough

“A lot of our Harrogate customers come from Knaresborough, so it’s nice that we can be here.

“I would say our most popular product is our bread, particularly our sourdough. People come from all over to buy it. Our cakes and scones are also really popular.”

Jane Spencer (right), co-owner of The Secret Bakery, Knaresborough and Aime McNaught in the new shop and cafe.

Opening hours are currently under review, but the aim is to eventually open seven days a week, from 8am until around 4pm and from 10am on a Sunday.

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Mrs Spencer and her husband James bought The Secret Bakery in November 2020.

The business is continuing to grow, with work starting next week to develop the Harrogate site.

Mrs Spencer said:

“It will give us some more space in the back to make all the bread and cakes and everything.

“We are also going to be opening later from Thursday through to Sunday and offering things like bread and dips. We will also be serving alcohol.”

The cafe area at The Secret Bakery, Knaresborough.

In Pateley Bridge there are signs of a gentle retail revival after the devastating impact of coronavirus.

This week, a bakers shop returned, adding to the two butchers, the oldest sweet shop in England and many other independent businesses, including cafes, pubs, restaurants and takeaways, that occupy the High Street.

In February, The Old Bakehouse, which had traded at the foot of the High Street for many years, closed its doors.

Now, six months later, new owners have refurbished the premises re-ordered the layout to cater for  social distancing requirements and called their shop Yorkshire Born & Bread.

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The Chandler family – brothers Lee and Shaun and their wives Elizabeth and Tilly – are the joint owners of the new bakery and have already made a name for themselves in the town over the past four years, with the way in which they have transformed and expanded the Spar shop across the road.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Pateley Bridge Councillor Mike and Dr Janet Holt (pictured above) performed the opening ceremony and were served with the first loaf of bread baked on the premises.

Afterwards, Cllr Holt, said:

“I took the opportunity to thank the Chandlers for the tremendous effort they have made to help the local community over the last five months, and to wish them every success in their new venture.”

During the coronavirus crisis the Spar shop has provided a central hub for free home deliveries made to people living in self-isolation throughout the Pateley Bridge area – a service supported by volunteers, including staff from the Bewerley Park outdoor learning centre.

Lee Chandler, said:

“The number of people in self-isolation has reduced, but we are still handling between 60 and 100 orders a week.”

The Chandler family, who were born, bred and educated in Nidderdale and proud of their Yorkshire roots, clearly don’t mind a challenge.

Tilly, told the Stray Ferret:

“We were all busy with the existing shop, but decided to open the bakery as well and just worked around the clock to make it happen.”