Ferryhill bakery shortlisted for Best Bakery award again

Shell’s Village Bakery in Ferryhill has been shortlisted for The Northern Echo’s Best Bakery award for a second year running.

Michelle Windress said it was “fabulous” to be recognised by customers again after winning the title last year.

Shell’s Village Bakery, Ferryhill winner of the Best Bakery 2025 (Image: Stuart Boulton)

The bakery sells sandwiches, pasties and cakes, serves hundreds of Sunday dinners each week and delivers meals to customers who cannot get to the shop.

Michelle, who is from Darlington and now lives in Chilton, took over the business in September 2020 after 25 years in car sales.

After being furloughed during Covid, she began considering a new direction when the chance to take on the bakery arose.

She said: “We had been furloughed from car sales. We had sold cars for 25 years and, when you get furloughed, it makes you start thinking of all the things you could do and other options.

“One of those things was this bakery coming up and that was something we thought we could take on and build on.”

Michelle said the move had been challenging, but she had enjoyed learning a new trade and growing the business.

Michelle of Shell’s Village Bakery in Ferryhill. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

She said: “It has been tough. It has been a huge learning curve for me, but I love every minute of it.”

Michelle and her team have built a loyal customer base in Ferryhill, with regulars returning for the bakery’s freshly made food.

The business has also expanded, opening a smaller kiosk in the village offering sandwiches and other bakery items.

Michelle said: “The response is great, people just seem to love the fresh produce.

“The business has been building and building over the years. We have opened another little kiosk now in the same village.

“We do a little less there because we do not do meals, but we do our sandwiches and things from the kiosk, it’s just been great.

“We have very, very loyal customers and it makes the day worthwhile when you get customers like that.”

Shell’s Village Bakery was named The Northern Echo’s Best Bakery last year, with Michelle saying at the time that the win meant even more because it had come from customer support.

She hopes the Ferryhill bakery can win the title again after making The Northern Echo’s Top 10 this year.

She said: “To be nominated once was amazing, but to be nominated twice is just fabulous.

Michelle of Shell’s Village Bakery in Ferryhill. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

“Last year was absolutely amazing, but the thought that we could do it twice is fabulous.”

Readers can vote with coupons printed in the newspaper, choosing their favourite from the 10 finalists.

Post coupons to The Northern Echo Best Bakery 2026, LOCALLY House, 1 Dalston Road, Carlisle, CA2 5NP.

Voting closes on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Photocopied or illegible coupons will not count.

The winner will be announced after voting closes.

The competition is open to bakeries across County Durham and Darlington.