Baking Industry Awards 2025: Borough 22 Doughnuts wins Free-From Bakery Product of the Year

Exceptional bakery items that deliver for consumers with specific dietary requirements, including those with coeliac disease and who follow vegan lifestyles, are honoured in this hotly contested product category.

Winner: Original Vanilla Bean Glaze Doughnut, Borough 22

It may have taken years of experimentation and the overcoming of numerous technical challenges, but founder Ryan Panchoo has struck gold with his Original Vanilla Bean Glaze Doughnuts.

Having first developed gluten-free, vegan baked doughnuts and launching his brand Borough 22 in 2014, Panchoo later set out to create an allergen-free version of traditional fried doughnuts which perfectly replicates the ‘chew, crunch, and indulgent texture’. He eventually figured out the right combination of gluten-free flours, a natural binder, yeast, sugar, and vegan butter as well as discovering the dough consistency and oil temperature needed to achieve a crispy exterior and soft, airy interior of the final product.

Panchoo noted his fried doughnuts have experienced tremendous success in the market, gaining a loyal following online and supporting the launch of a concession at Selfridges in London.

The Baking Industry Awards judges were blown away during the tasting panel. They highlighted the “fantastic structure” and aroma of the doughnut, calling it an “impressive product that would get repeat purchase from consumers, not just those seeking gluten-free products”.

Finalist: Clementine & Almond Squares, Waitrose X Baker & Baker

Part of Waitrose’s own-label free-from range, these little treats feature a moist almond & clementine gluten-free frangipane made with ground almonds, flaked almonds, and candied orange inclusions. There are ‘zingy pockets’ of clementine soak within and zesty orange peel and sweet white icing on top.

The judges noted that “all of the different elements come through” in each bite, describing it as “a lovely cake which balances the sweet, bitter, and zingy notes really well”.

Finalist: Salted Caramel Millionaires Brownie, Rabbit Hole Cakes

Perth-based Rabbit Hole Cakes is serving up a bold slab of indulgence with its Salted Caramel Millionaires Brownie. It’s made with a fudgy gluten-free brownie base and is packed with dark and white chocolate chips for added texture. This is layered with the bakery’s slow-cooked vanilla bean caramel, feathered Valrhona Jivara milk chocolate, and a sprinkling of Blackthorn Scottish sea salt.

This product is “delightfully indulgent yet beautifully balanced” and never crosses the line into “overly sweet” thanks to the mix of flavours and textures as well as the sprinkling of salt on top, commented the judging panel.

Finalist: Soft Brown Pittas, Warburtons Gluten Free

Having triumphed with its Soft White Pittas in this category at the 2024 Baking Industry Awards, Warburtons is back with its latest innovation – Soft Brown Pittas. Launched in April 2025, the pittas are made with milled linseed and described as ‘perfect eaten cold or toasted’. Made at Warburtons’ dedicated facility in Newburn, Tyne & Wear, the pittas are free from gluten, milk, and wheat.

The judges were impressed with the softness of the pittas and their usability, noting that they open up easily for filling. “You wouldn’t be missing out if you had this instead of a gluten-containing pitta,” they added.

Finalist: Vegan Sweet Potato Brioche Burger Bun, Docker Bakery

Folkestone-based vegan specialist Docker Bakery created its glazed vegan brioche bun after repeated requests from wholesale customers wanting a ‘light, fluffy and sweet burger bun’ that can withstand holding both meaty burgers and vegan-friendly ones. The result was a bun enriched with sweet potato for natural colour and sweetness, topped with black & white sesame for seasoning and texture. After an initial trial with consumers, Docker Bakery is now selling thousands of the buns weekly, making it a ‘keystone product’ for its wholesale customers.

It’s a “really good example of a light, fluffy, vegan-friendly brioche-style bun,” according to the judges, who highlighted the lovely glaze and nice distribution of sesame seeds.

Finalist: We Love Cake Chocolate Orange Slices, Bells of Lazonby

Made in a dedicated gluten-, milk-, and wheat-free bakery, these slices have been designed to ‘deliver the taste of a classic Jaffa Cake but in true cake form’, according to Bells of Lazonby. They comprise a soft, gluten-free sponge sandwiched with a tangy orange flavour jam and finished with a dark chocolate ganache. Bells said the product went through many cycles of development, with the jam proving particularly tricky to perfect for a longer-life ambient cake. The hard work paid off with 5,000 packs a week snapped up by consumers.

“Tangy and chocolately,” was how the judges described the cake slices, praising Bells for the “lovely looking product” and a “nice moist sponge”.