Magnificently located in one of Newtownards's fine old Victorian buildings, Michael Knott's busy town centre bakery and restaurant is a hive of activity, with customers eager to buy specialities such as fruit loaves and cakes from the bakery, or join the queue for tasty lunches in the restaurant and coffee shop at the back.
Established in 1979, this family-run craft bakery is not only thriving but expanding, and now has shops operating in Holywood and on the Lisburn Road in Belfast as well as the original shop here in Newtownards.
They rightly take pride in the fact that they have devised ways of producing large amounts of food without sacrificing quality, and now also offer a catering service tailored to clients' needs. Although, with over 60 employees, it is not a small bakery the artisan ethos has been maintained and a surprising amount of the production work is done by hand.
The range they offer is wide - and includes wholesome hot meals based on local produce - but if you had to pick a favourite product, it might be their delicious sausage rolls, or perhaps a traditional boiled fruit cake, or a nice Victoria sponge...
