A TOAST was made to celebrate Marks and Spencer Weymouth’s new in-store bakery.

The bakery was officially opened by store manager Ben Willcocks and staff member Alice Edgar, who won a competition to cut the red ribbon.

Mr Willcocks said: “It’s great to open an in-store bakery in the Weymouth store.

“Hopefully our customers will be pleased with it.

“Everyone has worked really hard to get it ready. We had seven people working away yesterday behind the screen trying to get it all finished.”

Already proving popular with customers are the French boules, he said.

Customer Sylvie Puplett, of Weymouth, said she was enjoying the bakery. She said: “I’m in here every day and it’s really nice to see. For someone living on their own, it’s great because you can buy small portions of things.

“It’s nice to see us getting the same as the big stores.”

The bakery has brought extra jobs to the store – it has taken on two full-time members of staff and a part-time worker.

M&S morning baker Judy Carr said baking begins on site at 6.30am every day. She said: “There are four of us working in the bakery. It’s busy already and I think it’s going to be very popular with customers.”

Jake Faulkner, the shop’s foods and bakery manager, said the bakery has attracted a lot of interest. She said: “This is really exciting for the business from the customer point of view.

“We’re going to be stocking a lot more bakery lines. The range we have is incredible and it all looks very enticing.

“It’s ideal for people dropping in on their way to work who want to do a pick-up for work.

“There’s going to be a lot of tasting going on this week and we’d encourage everyone to come and see what it’s all about.

“Our bakers are always available to advise people on the products.”