Johnny, 37, originally trained as a chef before deciding he preferred to concentrate on working with dough. He is now head baker working for catering contractor Sodexo, where he makes 2,000 bread rolls, 300 stottie cakes (a flat round loaf typically found in the north east) and 54 lemon drizzles on a match day.
Johnny said: “There’s nothing to beat the buzz around match days… It never seems like work because I can set my own pace and I just get on with it.
“People are always surprised when I tell them what I do – I think most people assume venues as big as this just buy everything in. It’s quite unusual for a stadium to have its own on-site baker, so I’m very lucky.
“There’s always something going on here as well, so each day brings a new challenge.”
St. James’ Park was one of the chosen venues for the 2012 Olympics where Johnny’s business thrived as he baked 35,000 stottie cakes for the spectators.