HAVING conquered the advertising world in London, Clive Cobb headed to the South West to pursue new challenges.

Settling in Lyme Regis, Dorset in 2001, Clive, 62, opened a fish restaurant before turning his attentions to bread.

"I felt that people would revert to buying rustic, authentic food," he said.

"Most people are now more intelligent about food and are more interested in having a healthy life and I wanted to be a part of that movement.

"I thought people would tune into a bakery quicker than other ideas."

In 2005, Clive collaborated with local master baker Aidan Chapman in a 600 year-old mill, founding Town Mill Bakery.

In just four-and-half years the business has proved incredibly successful opening three restaurants selling cakes and breads.

Since last September all the bread-making has taken place from a spacious unit, in Odhams Wharf, on the outskirts of Topsham.

Managed by Mark Murrin, its four bakers produce fresh bread, baking from 3pm to 1am every day.

The 30-something range of organic breads includes white, wholemeal, brown, rye, sourdough and seeded cobs, crowns and bloomers. There are also delicious foccacias piled high with organic peppers, red onions, basil and feta cheese.

The main ingredients used to make Town Mill bread are flour, water, yeast, wheatgerm, milk and olive oil.

To demonstrate the purity of this, Clive produces a standard packaged white-sliced loaf from a supermarket. He continues to read out the ingredients, listing preservative acids, agents and E numbers. The mass-produced bread contains five times as much salt as you would find in a Town Mill loaf — just 0.5 per cent.

We compare texture, smell and taste, and I, must say that the Town Mill loaf trumps its supermarket cousin in all categories. I am also surprised to discover that Town Mill bread is much more filling.

"We are not in competition with the supermarket breads though," said Clive. "As Town Mill Bakery makes completely different products for a separate market.

"Sourcing organic ingredients can prove hard and expensive, but it is worth it in the end."

You can buy Town Mill Bakery's freshly baked bread at Dart's Farm, in Topsham, on Fridays and Saturdays; Route 2, in Topsham, on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Greendale Farm Shop, in Farringdon, on Monday to Saturday; Bizzie Lizzie's, in Newton Poppleford, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Riverford packs the bread in its breadboxes.

Restaurants serving the bread on their menus include The Twisted Oak, in St Thomas, Exeter, and The Puffing Billy, in Exton.

"We want to keep expanding," said Clive. "One day we would like to be known as 'everyone's local baker'."

Details: 01297 443366, or visit www.townmillbakery.com.