Our Past
The business was founded in 1946 by John Bell - father of the current Managing Director Michael.
When he returned from the war - where he was attached to the Canadian Air force, shot down over Germany, held as a prisoner of war and subsequently freed by the Russians - his family had moved to the village of Lazonby.
As he didn’t have a job, John took the opportunity to develop the small bakery and shop which was attached to the family home, in order to raise some cash. There the business was formed and to this day the family joke is that John has never got a proper job!
Our People
People are our most important asset as we believe baking needs the human touch. Whether it is hand finishing a Coffee & Walnut Cake, swirling cheesecake mixture through our chocolate brownies or hand piping meringue nests, our trained bakers are key to delivering the best quality products.
There is a wealth of baking experience and skill within our workforce. Over 25‰ have been with us for more than 10 years. Because we are batch producers, the methods we use are very similar to those you would use in your own kitchen, just on a bigger scale.
We draw many of our staff from the local fellside villages and have employed several generations of some families.
Our Place
Our home is in the village of Lazonby set in the aptly named Eden Valley on the northern fringes of the Lake District and adjacent to the Pennine Hills. The village has a population of around 1000 people and Cumbria as a whole is a county with more sheep than people! It is a fantastic setting and provides a great backdrop when showcasing our business to customers.
We are the fifth largest private sector employer in Eden District which is as large as Cheshire in area and we play a full part in the local community. We partnered an affordable housing scheme in Lazonby and regularly support many local initiatives with time, management, and financial assistance.
Public Eye
We have mingled with the stars a number of times over the years…
In 2007, Michael Bell was presented with our award for Bakery Supplier of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards by the gorgeous Joanna Lumley (we didn’t hear the end of that for some time!!).
Our Village Bakery Café in Melmerby was host to an episode of The Hairy Bikers - when Dave Myers and Simon King came for a bread master class held by our top baker Antony Tiffin (aka Tiff). Great guys with a huge passion for baking!
We have been honored by meeting royalty twice!