Wherever you are in the UK, you're probably not far from a bakery, and we've collated all the best bakeries for your next sweet treat or sourdough loaf of bread jaunt. People in Britain have been baking bread for thousands of years, and pastry recipes even appear in medieval recipe books. But for a long time, viennoiserie – laminated breakfast pastries like croissants and pains au chocolat – was the domain of mainland Europe. Most of the bread sold in Britain was heavily processed, mass-produced, plastic-wrapped and picked up in supermarket chains. All of this has changed over the last decade, and it has been remarkable to witness the rise of independent bakeries across the country, with artisan (handmade, additive-free) bread and viennoiserie at the heart of the offering.
The cost-of-living crisis has intensified our obsession with fine hand-crafted ‘little luxuries’ – a treat that won’t break the bank, causing many to make pilgrimages to cult cafes to tick off the unique, creative bakes. The bakery business continues to soar, but with such an influx of bakeries, it can be hard to know where is worth your time and effort (sometimes the queues are several hours long!) Following the first edition of my Britain’s Best Bakeries book I couldn’t be happier to continue my in-depth research and reporting on the best bakeries in the country. From the obscure to the iconic, this second edition includes 21 additional bakeries, including a walled garden in Solihull and an award-winning bread maker in Cornwall. Here are 10 of the new additions to tempt your taste buds.
Baker’s Yard
Flair and flavour at Sheffield’s finest bakehouse
Sheffield’s burgeoning artisan food scene has seen speciality coffee shops and bakeries popping up all over the city. Baker’s Yard is a highlight, aptly named after its location in the heart of an eco-living residential development, just a stone’s throw from Kelham Island – the former industrial hub turned hip complex of breweries and restaurants. Couple Sam Lindsay and Becca Crofts gained a wealth of experience in the food sector before bringing this concrete shell to life with beautiful bakes, wonderful smells and smiling staff. Head Baker Lindsay imbues the delicious menu with his Canadian heritage; don’t miss the toasted pecan and maple beavertail, a twisted croissant dough with a nostalgic, nutty toffee flavour. Pop by for brunch or lunch, when simple, seasonal ingredients are prepared with care – whether a slow-roasted tomato quiche or a flatbread with aubergine and Taleggio cheese, everything is made from scratch, prioritising freshness and flavour.
Address: Baker's Yard, 1 Bakers Yard, Sheffield, S3 8BY
Website: bakersyardbakery.com
Fink’s
Fabulous cafe for fancy cakes and more
From the cult-classic Princess Cake – a layered beauty of light chiffon sponge, jam, crème diplomat and whipped cream, topped with a sheet of Barbie-pink marzipan – to bouncy focaccia sandwiches that will ooze fillings over your hands and a merch range that includes caps emblazoned with ‘SALT’ or ‘SWEET’, Fink’s are all about fun. Behind the scenes at this string of north London bakeries, the team work relentlessly to produce delicious cakes, bread and viennoiserie. Set up by Mat Appleton and Jess Blackstone in 2014, Fink’s quickly became known for their creativity and care. The products used in their bakes and sold on their shelves are meticulously sourced: flour from Wildfarmed, fruit from Natoora or Shrub and extra-creamy butter from The Edinburgh Butter Co. They have a host of cafes and takeaway spots dotted around Highbury, but the deli on Mountgrove Road – an airy corner space with a smattering of tables – is the best place to sample their full array of treats. They also own the nearby neighbourhood eatery, Saltine, and often collaborate on events together, so keep an eye on their socials for details of chic supper clubs with visiting chefs.
Address: Fink's, 70 Mountgrove Road, Finsbury Park, London N5 2LT
Website: finks.co.uk
Bakery at Hampton Manor
Charming destination bakery
In 2010, the Hill family opened up their comely Hampton Manor estate: an enchanting house and walled garden near Solihull. Aside from the hotel, Michelin-starred restaurant and garden, Hampton Manor boasts one of the area’s best bakeries. Head Baker Adam Cross leads the team, using meticulously sourced stoneground UK-grown grain, which gives a distinctive nutty flavour to the breads.
The display is ever-changing, a line-up of picture-perfect pastries and cakes to satisfy every craving: wondrously soft cinnamon buns, crystallised bread-and-butter pudding cubes and seasonal fruit-topped Danishes (the blueberry cheesecake edition was a winner). They always sell out, so arrive early, grab your coffee and croissant to go, and wander around the whimsical walled garden. And if the bakes inspire you, sign up for one of Hampton Manor’s pastry cookery classes to recreate these delectable goodies at home.
Address: Bakery at Hampton Manor, Shadowbrook Lane, Hampton in Arden, Solihull B92 0EN
Website: hamptonmanor.com
Halstead Bakery
Destination bakery in Tunbridge Wells
From Hackney to Halstead, Pierre Schiffrine and Avneet Padda moved out of London in 2021 to launch their own food business, having both worked in kitchens and bakeries their whole adult lives. First came their garden bakery (a tiny fixture to supply their market stall), next came a petite takeaway shop on the high street and, finally, they opened a much bigger eat-in premises in summer 2025 – a testament to the demand for their delicious creations. This white-walled space, flooded with natural light, is a suitable stage for the bounty of local farm products, shelves of just-baked breads and stacks of much-loved viennoiserie. Take a seat at the central communal table with a cup of house coffee (a clean and complex bean from East Sussex roastery, Taith), which pairs perfectly with a plump pain au chocolat or a devilishly indulgent chocolate and olive oil cookie. For a truly memorable mouthful, try one of their seasonal fruit buns. A recent peach melba brioche married sweet, bouncy dough with peaches poached in ginger water kefir, vanilla-tinted cream and a tangy raspberry compote – a perfect concoction that hits all the right notes.
Address: Halstead Bakery, 26-28 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2PT
Website: halsteadbakery.com
Don’t Tell Dad
Stylish neighbourhood feasting
Queen’s Park residents have a reason to be smug: this is the restaurant and bakery every Londoner craves in their neighbourhood. Founded by Daniel Land as an ode to his late sister (who believed that a little trouble made everything taste better), this foodie venture is at home on Lonsdale Road, a cobbled street in northwest London that exudes a sense of community. The shelves here are laden with wholesome breads of all shapes and sizes and photogenic pastries topped with seasonal ingredients (think chargrilled asparagus or macerated ruby-red strawberries), all best savoured in the stylish dining room.
Head Baker Keren Sternberg’s goods lean French, using top-quality ingredients like creamy butter from Isigny in northern France and the renowned Moul-Bie flour for the pastries. The brown butter hazelnut croissant, rich and comforting, rarely leaves the menu, but it’s the ever-changing seasonal fruit Danishes (including a delectable strawberry rice pudding version) that keep regulars returning. Never mind Dad; you’ll want to tell everyone.
Address: Don't Tell Dad, 10-14 Lonsdale Road, London NW6 6RD
Website: donttelldad.co.uk
Native Grain
Truro’s finest baked goods
Until recently, Truro (Cornwall’s only city) was dominated by chain restaurants, but Native Grain quietly entered the scene in November 2023, eager to offer something different. This small, independent takeaway bakery supplies locals with high-quality, handcrafted bread and viennoiserie, from sturdy loaves to seasonal Danishes, laden with fruit and dusted with icing sugar. Owner Cassio Parente has a keen eye for detail and a knack for creating addictive bakes: the structurally haphazard monkey bread is made from croissant offcuts coated in a gloriously sugary crust, intended to be pulled apart and shared. To really get a sense of Native Grain’s spectacular quality, though, go back to basics with beautifully classic plain croissant or the house sourdough – the latter showcases UK stoneground flour, including varieties from local producer, Cornish Golden Grains. Dawdle over the counter trying to decide which treats to buy for too long, and the smell of baking wafting in from the adjacent kitchen may hypnotise you into leaving with far more than you intended.
Address: Native Grain, 12 Kenwyn Street, Truro TR1 3DJ
Website: @native.grain.bakery
Milk Run
Popular Balham brunch spot’s bakery
London brunch fanatics will know (and love) Milk, one of the original Aussie-style all-day eateries in the UK. The team here have always proudly made all their own sauces, preserves and pickles, so adding their own baked goods to the menu was a logical next step. Milk Run – younger, dough-focused sibling to the original – flung open its doors in summer 2024, welcoming hungry hordes into a sleek space kitted out in dark-wood furniture and pops of nostalgic pink. And they are taking classic viennoiserie to the next level.
Fancy cracking the caramelised shell of a crème brûlée Danish? Biting into a popcorn-topped bun oozing crème diplomat and corn nut caramel? Or shovelling an entire cherry bakewell croissant into your mouth? Join the queue. The pantry-esque shop is also a great place to stock up on Milk Run bread and other delicious foodie products, all stamped with its recognisable bubbly branding.
Address: Milk Run, 16-18 Ritherdon Road, London SW17 8QD
Website: milk.london
Maya’s Bakehouse
Buns and breads from an all-women bakehouse
After leaving an advertising career in search of a more creative, fulfilling and food-orientated job, Maya Morrison started her bakery business at home during the pandemic and the project branched out to its permanent Brixton site in 2023. The bakehouse is an all-women operation – which was initially a happy accident but is now a key part of their business identity.
The small takeaway bakery specialises in flavoured breads (a spicy jalapeño, chilli and cheddar sourdough is the first to sell out) and filled buns (the bouncy spiced cardamon and cinnamon buns make a stellar weekend wake-up alongside a strong coffee). Daily specials and regular favourites are always laid out beautifully on countertop trays – expect to see cookies (made with Pump Street chocolate), frangipane fruit tarts and creamy slabs of Basque cheesecake among the treats on offer.
Address: Maya’s Bakehouse, 37 Tulse Hill, London SW2 2TJ
Website: @mayasbakehouse
Populations
Top-notch bakery in an all-day grocery store
For a long time, Populations Bakery owner George Fuest was a one-man team, hand-rolling viennoiserie around a full-time job. His delicious creations were available on irregular ‘bake days’ announced via Instagram, when those who placed pre-orders made their way to his kitchen (a.k.a. the shed in the garden of his Spitalfields home) to pick them up. The rest of the year, they appeared on the counters of a few speciality coffee shops across London. That all changed in summer 2025, when Corner Shop 180 opened. This super-chic grocer, cafe, wine bar, and bakery comes from the original Soho House team, beautifully curated (as you’d expect), with George’s immaculate baked goods at the heart of the operation. His glistening laminated croissants are the star item, made – like everything that comes out of his ovens – with diverse heritage grains and a complex, wholemeal flavour as a result. But, for a small, indulgent post-lunch snack, you can’t go wrong with a delightful hazelnut bite, a dense cake with an irresistible caramelised, buttery flavour.
Address: Corner Shop, 7 Arundel Street, London, United Kingdom WC2R 3DA
Website: @populations.bakery
Pipit
Pastry stop in a quaint English town
In April 2024, husband-and-wife team Fred Mackenzie and Clare Mansfield opened the doors to this neighbourhood bakery in the historic centre of Bradford-on-Avon. Specialising in handcrafted sourdoughs and viennoiserie, Pipit is committed to traditional baking techniques and sustainable ingredient sourcing, using organic stoneground flour, cultured butter and organic jersey milk. Fred and Clare’s journey began when they met working at organic food delivery company, Abel & Cole – and this passion for ethical food is evident in every part of Pipit. With a rotating seasonal menu that celebrates British ingredients, the offerings include innovative bakes, like the decadent gooseberry fool Danish, alongside much-loved staples, such as their now-famous espresso bun: a plump, brioche-based treat topped with sticky, caffeine-laced icing. The bakery also sells a curated selection of provisions and coffee from like-minded producers who share their values of quality and responsible farming.
Address: Pipit, Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1JX
Website: instagram.com
Britain's Best Bakeries Vol 2 by Mill Kenny-Ryder. £22.95 is published by Hoxton Mini Press. Available from hoxtonminipress.com.