Hand-made pasties, oven-fresh warm bread, ale pie and chunky chocolatey brownies are all available at Barnard Castle, thanks to The Moody Baker.

GREAT news for fans of The Moody Baker – after years of the farmers’ market, it now has a permanent home in Barnard Castle. So it is now possible to live on a permanent diet of Wolf pie, brie and mushroom pasties, proper bread and the world’s most brilliant brownies. Heaven just got a little closer.

The original Moody Bakery was – still is – a cooperative on top of the Pennines in Alston, started by a group which included Meryl Baker and Liz Moody, hence the name.

Meryl’s son, Dave, was working in IT in London, but came home, the way that sons do.

“And I was hanging round the Alston shop, sweeping up saying ‘Let me bake something, please let me bake something!’”

He learnt a lot. Result – he gave up IT and joined the business. As Alston doesn’t have much in the way of passing trade in the winter, he added farmers’ markets and, with Chris Gibson, one of the Barney partners, music festivals and the Moody Baker’s outlets.

“Because basically the food at festivals was always rubbish and we knew we could do something really good,” says Dave.

Now a few years later, he, Chris, Sarah Sawyer and Marzia Alouiso have opened The Moody Baker in Barney. Not a co-operative this time, but still adhering to the principles of being ethically and socially responsible.

“All our flour is organic and we try wherever possible to use organic, local and Fairtrade products,” says Dave.

Because they wanted to be part of a community, working, baking and living among their customers, they looked for somewhere that they wanted to live. Hence Barney.

One advisor suggested they did all the baking in Alston and delivered it to Barnard Castle every day. Which only showed that he had no understanding of the ideas behind the business and not much clue either about winter weather in the Pennines.

At one point it looked as though the project would never get off the ground. A story in the local paper brought seven calls offering help and backing.

“So we knew we were in the right place. We have had a terrific amount of support and help from all sorts of people and organisations,” he says.

The Moody Baker has always been famous for its range of vegetarian options – their nut roast has won awards. They make a mean granola.

But they also make some meaty choices too, including their Wolf pie – made with Allendale Brewery’s Wolf ale, which is so popular that a firm of investment bankers has pie supplies couriered down to London every Monday.

When you walk into the shop, you can see down into the kitchens where everything is made.

“The people who sell it are the people who bake it,” says Dave. “All our pastry is made by hand.”

All their recipes and products have been devised by the people who work there. Although they have their list of regular products, they keep coming up with new idea, and unlike chain bakers where ideas have to be in discussion and development for months, they can just wake up and make them.

“Yesterday I made chorizo quiche. Today Chris is trying cherry brownies. We want to make a beer and cheese bread too, but are trying to find the right local beer. Turns out that there are an awful lot of them. And we’ll have to taste them all, won’t we?” he says.

Dave’s mum is very pleased and proud of her son’s new business. He and his partners are already building up a great relationship with customers. They do special orders, off beat orders, catering and events.

“I think Barnard Castle’s going to be good.

We’re glad to be here.”

■ The Moody Baker, 22 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle. Tel: 01833-638844.

themoodybaker.co.uk/Barnard-Castle