A new award-winning bakery, described as "a dream come true" by its owner, is set to open in Hitchin next week.
Knead & Desire Bakehouse has moved into 7 Churchgate, and will welcome customers for the first time on Tuesday (September 24).
Owner Matthew Rideout worked in London for three decades before starting to bake in 2020, and quickly winning awards for his bread.
"I worked in the city for 30 years, and did some phenomenally interesting jobs, but I found the culture changed to the point where I needed to do something different," he explained.
"I set my heart on running a bakery, and baked my first loaf in January 2020. I ending up baking for hospitals to give something back to them and just to get some practice, and then went and did a six month course at the School of Artisan Food.
"I worked for three bakeries, and then set up Knead & Desire in September 2021. We started from scratch which meant we couldn’t afford a unit, so we set up a delivery service and did farmer’s markets and workshops.
"My customers all gave me fabulous feedback but I needed more confirmation that my bread was good enough, so I entered the World Bread Awards. I won two golds, one silver and three bronzes, even though I thought I’d had a bad baking day and nearly didn't take them up."
His new venture has been long in the making, adding: "It's taken three years to get here and set up my own bakery, so I'm absolutely chuffed. It's a dream come true for me."
Matthew, who grew up near Hertford, imagined he would set up his first bakery in his hometown, but that all changed when he visited Hitchin.
"I grew up just outside of Hertford, and to me, that was always where I was going to set up my first bakery," he said.
"But, I came to Hitchin for the first time and I knew this was where I wanted to be. There's such an amazing vibe here with all the independent businesses, the food and events, so it really won me over.
"Hertford is the county town, but I look at it and it should be more like Hitchin."
As for what customers can expect, he continued: "Our breads take 36 to 48 hours to make which allows the enzymes that people struggle with to break down, unlike factory bread which is in packaging after an hour.
"We use ancient and locally grown grains to make our bread, and they are all organic too. We've got pastries, an expanding product range, and we've had new coffee machines fitted as well."
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