Craft Bakery Business of the Year 2026 finalists named

Thanks to our category sponsor

Found from Northumberland to the Cotswolds, Belfast to Basingstoke, and even in London, the six businesses in the running to be named Craft Bakery Business of the Year are exemplary.

Which is exactly what the category, sponsored by Dawn Foods, aims to find. It celebrates bakeries producing craft, handmade, or bespoke items with a successful business model and well-trained staff. Judges spent several weeks travelling across the UK to visit candidates for this category, meeting the teams, getting behind the scenes, and sampling products to determine those worthy of finalist status.

Here are the six businesses hoping to take home the trophy at the Baking Industry Awards 2026:

Dina Foods

Nestled in a business estate in Park Royal, West London, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Dina Foods doesn’t look like your typical craft bakery. But on the inside lies a talented team specialising in the hands-on creation of baklawa and flatbreads which are delivered to a variety of businesses, including major retailers and foodservice operators.

Run by the Haddad family, Dina Foods was established in 1992. Its production site is split into three areas – confectionery, bakery, and savoury – from which it strives to produce authentic products. Authenticity, quality, integrity, and food safety are central to everything it does, according to the firm, as it looks to combine traditional bakery craftsmanship with modern manufacturing discipline. On the confectionery side, automation is simply used for the production of filo pastry, with traditional hands-on techniques employed to create baklawa including the careful layering of 42 ultra‑thin sheets of filo pastry, meticulous distribution of nut fillings, controlled baking, and syrup application.

People are fundamental to the craft bakery, with bakers trained in traditional techniques through structured training and hands‑on experience. This was seen first hand by the judges during their visit, who commended the “very skilled workforce” as well as top-notch procedures in the bakery.

“Dina Food is a heritage business with a passionate and knowledgeable team behind them,” said the judges, who also praised the family-run firm’s dedication to their local community and business network which they take a hands-on role in.

Dougies Goodies

Having been named a finalist in the category last year, Northern Irish firm Dougies Goodies is back for another shot at the trophy.

It has made plenty of progress on its mission to ‘pink up the world, one layer at a time’ over the past 12 months, with highlights including achieving SALSA accreditation, rolling out NPD, and scaling up its wholesale operations to supply over 100 locations including Applegreen service stations. Notably, around 50 locations also act as personalised cake collection points.

More than 100 products are handmade at its Ballymena site, including the like of its Iced Diamonds, French Fancies, Jamie Dougies, and custom celebration cakes.

“It’s great to see the level of growth Dougies has achieved over the past year,” said the judges.

To further accelerate its growth, Dougies is actively pursuing further retail expansion, with plans to open additional stores in carefully selected locations (it currently has three in total with one in Ballymena and two in Belfast). Wholesale will also play a part in its growth as it targets both independent retailers and larger ones, while investing in the operational infrastructure needed to support this scale, including production capacity, logistics, and team development.

Grant’s Bakery

Reigning champion Grant’s Bakery operates from a single retail site in the heart of Corbridge, Northumberland, with all production handled a short distance away at its bakery on Vallum Farm.

Its mission is to be known as the best quality bakery in the North, and it exists to ‘create meaningful moments of indulgence through beautiful, generous and consistently excellent handmade food’. This ranges from its new Sculpted Fruits, to handcrafted Viennoiserie, Tipsy Cake, Peach Melba Tarts, generous sausage rolls, Spinach & Feta Filo and so much more, all beautifully displayed at the shop.

“One thing Grant’s does exceptionally well is understand their market and their customers, ensuring they have a range fit for purpose and to entice customers in,” said the judges.

The past year has been another one of ‘strong growth’ for the business, with overall sales increasing plus average order value rising. It has invested in its operations and staff as well, with new equipment and software, as well as introducing a four-day week for all team members.

“The teams in the bakery and the shop are truly an asset to the business,” the judges added.

Imma the Bakery

Located in the rural heart of Stoke Row, Henley-on-Thames, Imma the Bakery operates from a single (and somewhat hidden) site that serves as a central production hub, creative laboratory, and retail destination. Despite being off the beaten track, there is always a steady stream of customers eager to get their hands on the sourdough loaves and laminated pastries that lie within.

This has only increased since the business won Britain’s Best Loaf 2026 for its Cantabric Ogi, also winning the Innovation category with its Breadso Sesame Loaf. If that wasn’t enough awards, at the helm of the business is reigning Baker of the Year Tona Erreguin.

Imma’s mission is to ‘uphold the idea of a Radical Tradition’ – a philosophy that treats bread with the highest honours it deserves as a pillar of civilisation for 10,000 years. As part of this, it strives to engage customers in thoughtful conversations about where their food comes from, and ensure staff are passionate and skilled enough to deliver these messages through their words and actions.

“The passion flows through Imma,” commented the judges, noting that the “welcoming and holistic” management style of Tona and the team is paying off.

Seven Seeded

Wholesale bakery Seven Seeded’s mission is to ‘craft outstanding breads, pastries and cakes with care and consistency, serving London’s best chefs, coffee shops, and hospitality partners while delivering great taste, exceptional service, and a warm working culture’.

If the growth in its customer base and revenue is anything to go by, the company is fulfilling its mission, supplying more than 800 venues across London and surrounding areas. Investments behind the scenes, including moving into a 30,000 sq ft production bakery in 2025, have helped support this growth. Seven Seeded insists it will ‘fiercely protect’ artisanal production methods as it grows.

To help with this, it has created the Seven Seeded Academy which will play a ‘major role’ in developing future bakers, leaders, and teams within the business. ‘We want people to see baking not simply as a job, but as a meaningful long-term career and craft,’ it said.

At the head of the production team is Gary Kadas, who is also in the running for Baker of the Year and Bakery Leader of the Year at this year’s Baking Industry Awards.

The judges commended the “excellent” products seen at Seven Seeded from the laminated pastries to the sourdough. “There are no dud products here,” they beamed.

The Street Bakeshop

The Street Bakeshop burst onto the scene in 2020, sweeping up a myriad of accolades not long after including Baker of the Year for founder Tim Goodwin in 2021, and Craft Bakery Business of the Year and Team of the Year 12 months later.

Now, it’s back for another swing at the craft bakery trophy with more experience, plenty of expansion, and lots of new products under its belt. The business now operates three sites – two in Old Basing in Hampshire and another in Reading. From its production site, which is attached to its original location in the village, it creates a range of 15 slow fermented breads, 18 different types of cakes and cookies, and 10 varieties of pastries and sweet buns every day.

These all play an important part in its vision which is to be ‘nationally known for exceptional baked goods and remarkable customer service’. In practice, this means ‘showing up every day to bring the best version of ourselves to work and create fantastic baked goods’.

“The Street Bakeshop was a hive of activity both in the production bakery and in the shop, which was wonderful to see,” commented the judges. They praised the products, noting that the sausage roll, Miso & Toast Cookie, and pastries were particular highlights.