A bakery that has been in the family for almost 80 years, has been nominated for the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Bakery 2024.

A total of 10 bakeries are battling it out for your votes, with The Village Bakery being one of your finalists.

Based in Whalley Road, Mellor Brook, and owned by Alison and Martyn Sanderson they focus on providing freshly baked goods.

Martyn’s family took over in 1948 and the couple started running it in 2018 where they continue to follow traditional recipes and continue to make many local favourites.

Alison said: “It feels great it's nice to think that people enjoy what we make because we make our bread and cakes from scratch, and it is nice that people like coming into a traditional bakery.

“It would be lovely for us to win, it is nice to think that you work hard every day and that would be the icing on the cake as the pun would say.

“The smell of the shop for me is what you can tell that the bread has come out of the oven, and it is hot on the shelf.”

READ MORE: 10 finalists in the Lancashire Telegraph's 'Best Bakery 2024' competition revealed

The bakery is famed for its steak pies and Bakewell tarts, which are made fresh every morning, and its selection of breads, which are often still warm when customers pick them up.

Alison added: “Bread is a big thing that we do and our sourdough uses only traditional water, yeast and flour and there are no additives in our bread at all.”

This is a crucial part of their bakery experience and Alison says the smell of the shop is what really draws customers in.

Alison added: “I have to say to customers it’s really hot is that okay and they always smile and say you can’t get fresh bread like this from anywhere.”

Customers are also involved in what the bakery serves and The Village Bakery takes requests.

They also supported the local community throughout the pandemic and provided a delivery service to people who could get out and sold fresh food to residents and cash and carries.

The Village Bakery employs two full-time and two part-time alongside the couple and Martyn’s 97-year-old father still helps and washes up in the shop.

Alison said: “It is a big team effort. We are a close-knit team, and we all work hard together.”

Readers will be able to vote for the ‘Best Bakery 2024’ by picking up copies of the Lancashire Telegraph between Monday, September 2 and Saturday, September 14, with the winner announced the week commencing September 23.