A artisan bakery and baking school has opened its doors after successfully raising more than £15,000 through crowdfunding.

Elsie May’s Electric Lounge Café, Bar & Bakery, located on St Neots’ Market Square, is welcoming customers to the newly-established bakery after it collected more than £17,000 in donations from 300-plus different backers to make the transformation happen.

The Hunts Post: There is a wall of 'bakers' at Elsie May's new bakery in St Neots.There is a wall of 'bakers' at Elsie May's new bakery in St Neots. (Image: ELSIE MAY\'S)

An official opening event, which marked an new milestone for the local business, took place on January 21 and saw St Neots Town Mayor, Cllr Stephen Ferguson perform the honours.

The funds that were generously pledged and donated helped Naomi Rose, owner of Elsie May’s Electric Lounge, to purchase essential equipment such as mixers, sinks, ovens and extraction units and cover installation and contracting work to make the building’s annexe fit for purpose.

The new bakery features a wide range of homemade sourdoughs, focaccia, granary breads and pastries, alongside homemade cakes and scones, providing the local community with access to local, fresh products.

The Hunts Post: Elsie May's staff preparing the latest batch of bread at the bakery in St Neots.Elsie May's staff preparing the latest batch of bread at the bakery in St Neots. (Image: ELSIE MAY\'S)

Speaking at the bakery’s launch event, Naomi said: “Our local community is so important to us and we’re so grateful for the generosity that has been shown to us throughout this process, and we really want to make this bakery a place that people can be proud of, right on their doorstep.

“The past 18 months have been difficult for everyone locally, both for businesses and individuals, and we are really hopeful that the new bakery at the start of a new year is a fresh start and lift for everyone.

“It’s certainly been a labour of love, albeit a little stressful at times, to get the bakery up and running and we are just delighted to welcome all our friends, families and the wonderful people of St Neots down to try some of our new bakes. We’ve been testing, trialing, and perfecting our recipes during the past few months so I’m sure people will love it!”

The Hunts Post: The new bakery display at Elsie May's Electric Lounge in St Neots.The new bakery display at Elsie May's Electric Lounge in St Neots. (Image: ELSIE MAY\'S)

The café’s crowdfunding campaign was supported by Instagram influencer Sourdough Sophia to her 112,000 followers as well The Real Bread Campaign and The National Caterers Association.

To find out more about the café and what to expect from the bakery, visit Elsie May’s website or visit the Elsie May’s Electric Lounge social media channels.