Rise reopens with fresh new look

Rise has reopened with a whole new look after an extensive refurbishment.

The Horse Market bakery, renowned for its artisan sourdough, has turned the upstairs space into a bigger kitchen with room for a farm shop.

“People found it was getting too cramped downstairs,” said Rise co-owner Alex Lister. “

People want to take a moment and look at the cakes, but when you had three people in, it started to feel crowded.”

The solution was to ditch the café and shift some of the production space upstairs.

While the bread ovens will stay on the ground floor, the shopfloor has extended to create space for a deli and fresh veg as well as the much-loved loaves and cakes.

“We wanted to have fresh groceries because since the grocer over the road closed you can’t get decent fresh vegetables in Barney,” Alex added.

“We’ll be going to a supplier in the Team Valley every day so we can make sure it’s as fresh as possible. We’ll get whatever looks good on the day, so it will all be seasonal.”

Upstairs, as well as more kitchen space, there’s also a new farm shop, adding to the range of goods on offer.

Although many in retail say things are tougher than ever on the high street, Alex believes in being proactive.

“It’s hard to be in business right now,” he said. “Costs are going up everywhere. But whenever I read about successful millionaires, they all say that if they had looked at the political situation they would never have done anything. You just have to go for it.”

And after five years in the Horse Market, he also believes in Barney.

“Barnard Castle is like nowhere else in the world,” he added.

“It’s a brilliant town (with) an amazing atmosphere.

“People say towns are dying, but not here, we hardly have any empty buildings. I’ve not seen anywhere else like it.”