Smithills Open Farm officially opens new bakery after demand

Smithills Open Farm is behind the new venture, which is a natural extension of the work already being done.

The farm first began selling bottled milk in 2019, and later began producing ice cream, free range eggs, butter, and yoghurts for customers.

Carl Grimshaw ,who runs the farm, gave his aunty Ann Pyle an opportunity to work in the popular farm café and that led to the bakery opening with her passion for fresh produce.

Now Smithills Open Farm has a café and a bakery.

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Carl said: “Ann asked why we were not using our own butter, cream, and eggs to make our cakes.

“I had never had anyone in the business who was passionate, but it was something we wanted to do, and I knew it would work brilliantly.”

After getting an oven fitted in the kitchen, Carl says that the home baked goods started to sell so fast that they could not make them quick enough.

Ann said: “It’s an absolutely lovely place to work, and as a baker I can’t ask for any better products, everything is so fresh.

Carl Grimshaw and Ann Pyle with a freshly made cake, using all of the farm's ingredients (Image: Smithills Open Farm)“I am so thankful for the opportunity that Carl has given me, and I love it.

“I always baked for my children and grandchildren when it was a celebration, and I have always done baking.

“Everything we do includes something from Smithills Farm.”

The farm also began to offer flapjacks, cookies, brownies cupcakes, and more on their milk deliveries, and Carl says that customers do not need to order milk to get these products delivered.

Carl added: “We have created something really special, and we have stopped buying in cakes and biscuits.

“Everything is made on site with our own products and people can stand outside the bakery and watch the staff baking the cakes, which they can buy in our shops.

Homemade flapjacks from the bakery (Image: Smithills Open Farm)“We want to show off what we do.”

Carl hopes to offer fresh bread and scones in the near future as popularity continues to grow and they are able to expand more.

Carl has invested around £50k into the new bakery.

The farm has two shops, including an ice cream shop, and one in the main entrance, without going into the farm.

 People do not have to be visitors to purchase products from here.

The new bakery opened a couple of weeks ago to allow staff to get used it, and officially opened to the public last Friday.

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