Bakers in the UK

Finding a good bakery in the UK

A bakery is a shop where bread is made, and the distinction matters: much of what is sold as fresh bread in supermarkets and chains is baked from frozen dough or part-baked loaves made elsewhere. A real bakery mixes, proves and bakes on the premises, starting in the small hours, and the difference is in the crust, the crumb and the fact that the loaf goes stale in two days because nothing has been added to stop it. The best have queues by eight and are sold out of the good things by eleven.

The trade has split into two happy halves. Traditional high-street bakers sell tin loaves, bloomers, rolls, sausage rolls, pasties, iced buns, custard tarts and a cake counter, and many do sandwiches and coffee at lunchtime. Artisan bakeries sell sourdough, rye, focaccia, croissants and cardamom buns at prices that reflect long fermentation and good flour, and most towns now have one. Alongside both sit the specialists: cake makers for weddings and birthdays, gluten-free bakeries with their own premises so there is no cross-contamination, vegan bakers, and the Polish, Turkish, Portuguese and Caribbean bakeries that serve their communities and everyone else.

Bakeries are inspected under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme like any food business. The listings here show each bakery's reviews, opening hours, what they specialise in, and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who does sourdough or gluten-free, who makes cakes to order, and where people in your town go for bread.

What bakeries offer

Bread: tin loaves and bloomers, rolls and baps, sourdough, rye and wholemeal, focaccia and ciabatta, baked that morning and often sold out by lunchtime.

Pastries and savouries: croissants and pains au chocolat, sausage rolls and pasties, pies, quiches, scones, doughnuts, buns and tarts, and a coffee to go with them.

Cakes: birthday, wedding and celebration cakes made to order from a consultation and a tasting, plus cupcakes, brownies, traybakes and the daily cake counter.

Dietary: gluten-free bakeries with dedicated premises, vegan ranges, and bakeries that bake gluten-free or dairy-free lines on set days.

Wholesale and orders: bread and pastries for cafés, restaurants and shops, party and corporate orders, and sandwich platters.

Before you visit a bakery

• Go early; a real bakery sells its best bread by mid-morning and closes when it sells out.
• For a celebration cake, order two to four weeks ahead, longer for a wedding, and ask about a tasting and a design consultation.
• For coeliac needs, ask whether the bakery is fully gluten-free or bakes gluten-free lines alongside wheat; only the first is safe from cross-contamination.
• Ask whether they hold bread back for an order; many will if you ring the day before.
• Check the hours; many bakeries close early afternoon and on Sundays and Mondays.
• Ask what is baked on the premises if it matters to you; the honest ones will tell you exactly.

What bread and cakes cost at a bakery

As a rough guide, a traditional white or wholemeal loaf costs £2 to £3.50 at a high-street baker and a large sourdough £4 to £6.50 at an artisan bakery, with London higher; croissants and pastries £2.50 to £4.50, a sausage roll £2 to £4, and cupcakes £2.50 to £4. Celebration cakes made to order start at £45 to £80 for a simple 8-inch cake and rise with tiers, sugar work and figures; wedding cakes typically run £300 to £900. Gluten-free bread and cakes cost a third to a half more because of the ingredients and the separate premises.

A bakery's prices reflect flour, labour and time — a sourdough takes two days — and are a fair comparison with a supermarket's premium range rather than its value one. The bread is different enough that most people stop comparing.