Kelly Johnson, chef and owner of new business On The Bread Line & Co, said she plans to open in January, adding that this won’t be your “run of the mill bakery”.
French pastries, fresh-baked bread and “upmarket” breakfast and brunch will be on the menu.
One night a month, Kelly plans to host a seven-course fine dining menu to truly showcase her skills as a chef.
Kelly, who is also at the helm of 1b Tap House in Glebe Street, Great Harwood, said: “There will be dishes you won’t find at your standard bakery – it won’t be your ‘run of the mill’ bakery.
“Breakfast will be a bit more upmarket and will be ‘French-led’ with deli sandwiches and croissants with cheese and ham, and more.
“One Saturday a month, we will host a seven-course fine dining menu. This will be exciting because people will be able to see what I am like as a chef. All the produce will be local.”
Kelly said this has been a dream of hers for around five years, when she was still working as a senior chef for Manchester United, where she prepared meals for first-team players and football managers.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who played for the team between 2003 and 2009 and again between 2021 and 2022, and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson are some of the legends she kept fed.
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, 41, left the role around a year ago when she took over her pub.
The bakery will be located at the former Holy Cannoli site in Glebe Street. Before that, [the site was known as The Palatine Café](https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24035729.palatine-cafe-great-harwood-institution-decades/).
Kelly said: “My auntie and uncle owned a vegan bistro and wanted to retire. They asked if I wanted to open my bakery, and I said yes.
“Now is the right time to open – we will fit in well in Great Harwood as our food is more savoury-based.”
Kelly, from Great Harwood, said she is excited to open and predicts opening week will be busy as the announcement post on Facebook has been viewed more than 40,000 times.
She said: “I am so excited I can’t contain myself – it’s all gone a bit wild on Facebook.
"The post has been viewed more than 40,000 times since posting on Facebook – I think it will be busy.
“I think some Manchester United players could visit. I am a private chef and keep in touch with a lot of the players. If they are back in the UK, we provide food for them.
“We are looking forward to getting involved in the community. This opening has come at the right time.”