People

The company's history goes back many decades. Started pre-war as a small bakery shop by James Greenhalgh, it was then bought by Palais de Dance Company in the 1940's, primarily to supply their local dance hall with bakery products. Allan Smart entered the picture in 1950 and proceded to then transform the business into what it is today.

Recruited as Bakery Manager, he successfully set about turning the run-down bakery and shop into a profit-making concern.

In 1957 Bolton Palais was taken over by Mecca Dancing. With no interest in owning a small bakery, Mecca agreed to sell the business to Allan Smart who, with his wife Kathleen, formed Greenhalgh's Model Bakery, later re-named Greenhalgh's Craft Bakery Ltd. reflecting the company's intention of remaining craft-orientated. Thus, in the mid-1950's began a business which presents a remarkable story of growth combined with dedication to quality.

In recognition of this continued success story Greenhalgh's Craft Bakery were voted Independent Bread Business of the Year by the bakery industry in 1999 and even now continue to win awards and accolades for their products year in and year out.

Greenhalgh's has long been synonymous with taste and quality around its home base of Bolton and the surrounding Lancashire towns where it has numerous shops.

Over the years, however, its fame has spread much further afield and it now covers the whole of the North West of England with multiple sites in principal cities such as Manchester, Preston and Warrington. Additional shops are opened on a regular basis.