THE winners for this year’s Bakery Business Magazine National Bakery awards were announced at a glitzy awards evening hosted by Mark Durden-Smith in London.

On the night Lovingly Artisan - Aidan Monks and his team based at Altrincham Market, Manchester and Plumgarth's, Kendal - were crowned The Northwest's Best Bakery, having previously been named during the evening as Cumbria’s Best Bakery.

The winning bakeries are selected from hundreds of entries based on their commitment to quality, customer service, innovation, and operational best practice.

Each year the annual awards celebrate the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation, creativity and community involvement, the awards unearth the crème de la crème of bakery industry from across the UK.

Commenting on their win husband and wife Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor, owners and bakers at Lovingly Artisan, said: "It’s a real honour to be shortlisted alongside the other finalists in this year’s National Bakery awards, as both county and regional finalists and to win both is amazing!

"The annual awards provide a magnificent stage to recognise the skills and achievements of the whole industry. They are an opportunity to shout from the rooftops and celebrate those individuals and businesses at the forefront of the UK’s burgeoning artisan bakery scene.

"We are proud to be able to play a small part in developing excellence in the UK’s baking industry and the team at Lovingly Artisan look forward to continuing to play a small part in the developments ahead.’’