A Great Harwood bakery owner, who used to be a chef for major Manchester United footballers, is in the running for a best bakery competition.
On The Bread Line & Co is in the running in the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Bakery competition.
Owner Kelly Johnson spent years preparing meals for top footballers and managers at Manchester United, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson, before launching her own bakery in April 2026.
She said: "I used to be a chef for Ronaldo and other Man United players – now I run a new bakery.
"We owned the pub across the road, and I used to be a chef for the first-team players at Manchester United.
"So I left life as a chef [more than a year ago] and opened my own bakery."
The bakery offers a full bistro experience, serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch in a relaxed setting.
Everything is homemade, including pies, pastries, and bread, with some menu items inspired by Kelly's time cooking for footballers.
She said: "We were really excited when we found out we had been nominated.
"We make our own pies from scratch as well as pastries and bread – everything on site is homemade.
"We sell items that I served to the Manchester United players, including granola bowls - that was a breakfast staple - and ibérico ham."
Kelly also uses the same supplier she relied on while cooking for elite athletes.
Reflecting on being a chef for Manchester United, she said: “It was a really great experience, but high-pressure because you are having to deal with each individual athlete and their unique nutritional requirements.
"We imported meats as they come from all over the world – Ronaldo liked a special type of ham.
“We made a variety of dishes with plenty of fish, but I did introduce a lot of new items to the menu, including my bread and pies.
“Benni McCarthy, Steve McClaren and Alex Ferguson had a sweet tooth and enjoyed my sweet treats.”
Kelly said it would be amazing to win the Best Bakery competition - especially as a new business.
She said: "To win would be so nice for all the staff.
"They have worked so hard and it is totally different to working in the pub.
"We encourage the staff to come in and actually learn about the ingredients and the type of food we are trying to produce."
The team is planning to expand into the building next door to create a larger preparation area and will soon launch a "pies by post" service, offering next-day pie deliveries.
A farm shop is also in the works.
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Although no footballers have visited the bakery yet, former Blackburn Rovers player and ex-Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has expressed interest in stopping by.
Kelly said: "We haven’t had any players visit yet – but Benni McCarthy used to be one of the coaches and he used to play for Blackburn.
"He has been in touch and wants to come down."
We will feature each of the finalists until voting closes on Saturday, September 12. To vote, readers need to pick up a paper copy of the Lancashire Telegraph and complete the voting slip.
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