MICHELLE Gadsden is making her dream come true by baking bagels from her own kitchen for hungry customers.

Michelle, of Sprats Barn Crescent in Royal Wootton Bassett, has always wanted to open her own shop. She's made the first steps to make that possible after starting her online business Bageltastic.

She is squeezing in every spare minute that she can to bake the ringed bread while she works at her day job as assistant network access manager at GWR, and customers can collect their orders from her house on the weekends.

The 51-year-old said: "I lived in America as a teenager, and there was a bagel place down the street called The Works Cafe, and they were amazing. I had them every day. I always wanted to do a similar thing, like a cafe, but life takes over, and it doesn't happen.

"I realised during the lockdown, about five months ago, that unless I started doing it now, it was never going to happen. That's when I started learning how to make them. I was making so many batches and giving them away to anyone who would take them.

"I'm making about 300 Montreal bagels each weekend at the moment, and it's steadily growing. Montreal bagels are made with eggs, but I've removed those, so they're vegan."

Michelle lived in Connecticut for a few years before moving to Manchester, Vermont, where her inspiration to start the business began after visiting her local cafe almost every day.

Orders are made through the Facebook page, but she is hopeful that one day she will open a cafe in the High Street.

She said: "It makes me feel alive that I'm making my dream come true. I like my day job, but this is something I don't have to think about, I don't feel like I'm working.

"I've never been a baker, but I'm a creative person and to be able to do this feels like I'm doing something I love and being creative. I think 18-year-old me would be saying 'thank God for that'."

Customers who are unable to pick up their order can have it delivered, but only if they're unable to collect it. Michelle will take it to anyone in the town, in Swindon, and surrounding areas.

And she hopes if her business continues to grow that she can open up on the High Street.

"I want to see where it goes, I enjoy doing it from home, but my ultimate goal would be to have a cafe in Wootton Bassett."

She offers plain bagels, poppy seed, sesame seed, onion, cheese, and lemon and poppy seed.

For more information and to make an order visit www.facebook.com/Bageltastic