When East Anglian bakery Brownbread was looking for a site for its first actual shop, one location was head and shoulders above everywhere else - Woodbridge.

Now the store is expected to open in mid-February and its bosses are looking forward to having a new string to their bow.

The company was founded by the Brown family, and Ryan Brown is overseeing the conversion of the former Cake Shop premises into Brownbread's new home in the town.

Ipswich Star: Ryan Brown outside the new Brownbread Bakery shop in Woodbridge.Ryan Brown outside the new Brownbread Bakery shop in Woodbridge. (Image: Paul Geater)

At present it is trading from a large stall next to the shop - but Mr Brown said staff were looking forward to moving inside, especially if the cold weather persists!

He said: "We've been planning this for some time, about 18 months - but it has taken quite a long time. The building is listed which means it takes longer to get permission to make the changes we needed.

"We've been wanting to open our first shop alongside our market stalls for some time - and Woodbridge is the ideal place.

"We already have a good customer base here and I think people are looking forward to our opening.

"It's almost there - but we're waiting for the delivery of some specialist glass and heated cabinets so I think it'll be another four weeks before we're actually open."

The shop will have a takeaway selling warm lunchtime snacks and hot drinks as well as the full stock of artisan bread, cakes and pastries.

Mr Brown said: "We don't think there's a need for any more cafes in Woodbridge - but a takeaway so people can take their lunch down to the river or the park should be good."

The company is based at Ingatestone in Essex and bakes many of its cakes at a unit in Harlow - it sells on markets across East Anglia and the South East from Norwich in Norfolk to Petersfield in Hampshire.

Mr Brown said: "Markets are are lifeblood and will continue to be - but this is a new venture for us."

The company also sells wholesale to cafes and other bread shops - and while most of its products are made in its own bakeries, some are bought in from other specialists.