A COMMUNITY bakery which was given a national profile when it featured in a television documentary is appealing for volunteers.

Bread Actually, the Bedale Community Bakery, has been having a trial run on the town’s Tuesday market, and because of the huge interest, sold out of its goods within a few hours.

Now volunteers behind the not for profit venture are asking for more local people to help out - and learn the secrets of bread making in the process.

Bread Actually was started four years ago by former Bedale vicar, Reverend Cath Vickers, who wanted to encourage the town's community spirit through collective bread baking.

A television production company making a show about the restoration of nearby Crakehall Watermill and flour milling got wind of the project and made the documentary, The Big Bread Experiment, which has just been repeated on BBC 2.

The bakery, now based on the Big sheep and Little Cow site at Aiskew Mill, has 20 volunteers ranging from former teachers to retired police officers producing more than 800 artisan loaves a week with two paid members of staff. The aim is to use as much local produce and involve as much of the community as possible with profits ploughed back in to the venture.

Alan Davis, 71, a trained baker, who is one of the volunteers, said:”It’s really been going amazingly well, all the artisan bread we produce for the market is sold out within a few hours.

"Because of this, the bakery is gearing up to increase production. As there is an excellent range of breads, like our new cheese and marmite loaf which has been a real hit, we need more volunteers to produce it along with other baked products.

“They’re needed at both the bakery and the market and anyone who would like to help will be most welcome.

"There are no set hours or days for the volunteers and times and days can be accommodated even for just a couple of hours. People don’t need experience as we are all learning all the time and professional help will be given.

“Now what we also want after producing the bread locally is to find someone producing butter locally and from there who knows.”

The bakery can be contacted on www.facebook.com/BreadActually