Community-supported business The Handmade Bakery has achieved a national co-operative accolade.

The not-for-profit bakery, in Slaithwaite, Yorkshire, started trading in March last year and spent four mouths using the pizza ovens at a local Italian restaurant before acquiring permanent premises in July 2009.

The firm received the accolade. at a ceremony as part of Co-operatives Fortnight, in recognition of “its innovation and excellent work”.

David Button, chair of Co-operatives UK, which organised the awards, said: “The Handmade Bakery is a relatively new business but it is already supplying its bread widely and has built up a reputation for the care and passion everyone puts into bread making.”

The bakery sells its products in its own shop, as well as distributing via its subscription service - The Bread Club. Subscribers choose from a core range of breads, but are also emailed weekly with a range of speciality breads, which they can choose to switch to.

Johanna McTiernan, The Handmade Bakery, commented: “Everyone in the co-operative has worked hard to build an alternative model for community baking and we are all proud of its success. This award gives us even more determination to continue to promote real bread and co-operative ways of working.”

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