RISE Artisan Bakery in Barnard Castle shortlisted for award

RISE Artisan Bakery is run by husband and wife team Alex and Cat Lister, who started their first bakery business in Crook in 2014 before bringing the business to Barnard Castle six years ago.

They began in an industrial unit in Crook, supplying restaurants and shops across the North East while running a Newcastle city-centre shop.

But the Covid pandemic wiped out many of the bakery’s wholesale customers, forcing it to change direction.

Alex said: “We started in 2014 and have been in Barnard Castle for six years.”

“We were originally in Crook with an industrial unit and a wholesale business. We had a shop in Newcastle city centre, then Covid hit and we lost so many of our customers. Many of them went under and they literally weren’t there anymore.”

The following year, Alex and Cat moved to Barnard Castle and opened RISE as a bakery and coffee shop.

Alex said: “Then the unit came up in Barnard Castle the following year and we opened the bakery and coffee shop - it’s been growing ever since.”

Alex and Cat now focus on the artisan bakery, where the team makes as much food as possible in-house.

The bakery is best known for its sourdough, while pies and sausage rolls are also customer favourites.

Alex said: “We are best known for our sourdough, definitely. The sourdough is the big one.”

“The pies are good, the sausage rolls are good. Everything is made in-house. The puff pastry is made here. We do as much in-house as it is possible to do.”

RISE also serves sandwiches, paninis, baguettes and focaccia, while its speciality bread flavours change weekly.

Customers have warmly welcomed RISE since it opened in Barnard Castle.

Alex said: “Since opening the response from customers has been brilliant, really good. We are really, really happy and going from strength to strength.”

Now, RISE Artisan Bakery has been shortlisted among the top 10 in The Northern Echo’s Best Bakery competition after customers nominated the business again.

Alex said: “It is pretty big, isn’t it to be nominated. It is really appreciated.”

“We are actually doing a lot of hard work to get to where we are, just keeping the place going, so it feels good to have that recognised.”

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 voting coupons will not count. The winner will be announced after voting closes.

Before opening in Crook, former chef Alex had spent a year developing his bread and selling it at farmers’ markets across the region.