Some people assume I spend my days swanning around bakeries, gorging on baked goods, and (in the words of Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones), ‘fannying about with press releases’.
And for once, they were right (about the first two at least). Having published the mammoth project that is the Top Bakery Trends 2026 report, I decided to treat myself to an exploratory tour of some of London’s most raved about bakeries to get a sense of what was happening on the ground and serve up some real-life examples for a feature on pastries.
So, I donned my comfiest boots, grabbed my backpack, and headed into London. My first tip for those embarking on something similar, is a comfy and weather appropriate outfit is key as there is inevitably more walking than you think.
What’s more, if you’re not going with friends, make sure you have some good tunes and/or engaging podcast to make the walk more enjoyable. I chose a delightful combo of the Off Menu podcast and some spritely pop punk courtesy of State Champs to keep my pastry-filled person moving around the capital.
My first stop was South Kensington, a veritable hub of bakeries the second you step out of the tube station. There’s two Gail’s, a Paul, Café de Nata, and Philippe Conticini all within a few paces.
The plus side about exploring on my own was I could set my own agenda and change it as I saw fit. Having grabbed a Nutella filled pastry from Philippe Conticini (the XXL Croissants looked very tempting, but it would be silly to go that big this early), I ducked into Café de Nata to re-live my recent trip to Lisbon with a pastel de nata. Not quite as good as the one I had in Portugal, but it’ll do.
The next stop was equally impromptu as I was lured in by the beautiful Christmas decorations and inviting window display at EL&N where I indulged in an adorable Chocolate Polar Bear Cake.
For the grab and go bakeries, it was easy to make some light conversation and scurry away but for ones which meant I was sitting in, like at EL&N, I was very conscious of looking like one of those people who do everything for the ‘gram. The kind that spends 30 minutes taking photos, have one bite, and leaving with a basically a full dessert still on their plate. So, to avoid embarrassment, I forced most of the polar bear down. With a packed agenda ahead, this was a terrible idea.
By now, I was in desperate need of something savoury. Thank goodness for Harrods. I first visited the food hall several years ago when the upscale department store unveiled its from-scratch bakery. Years later, in the weeks leading up to Christmas it was a veritable buffet of delights but with most of it leaning sweet, I opted for the Butternut & Chorizo croissant to cleanse the palate. Notably, the croissant was long and thin, almost shaped like an éclair shape (let’s not even get into the whole ‘croissant’ means ‘crescent’ thing).
That’s brings us on to another top tip – keep the menu variable. Don’t go all sweet, all savoury, or all chocolate, for example as that will quickly drain your enthusiasm. Keep your stomach guessing!
I kept this in mind as I approached Arôme where I ordered the Apple Danish with Miso Caramel Glaze, which straddled sweet and umami profiles perfectly. Less so when I went apple again at Miel for the Chausson aux pommes. You’d have thought by this point I would just be nibbling at the pastries, but the Chausson aux pommes was so good (and warm) I ate the whole thing sat outside on a bench like a greedy raccoon.
I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t sound like a tough day. But you are so wrong. When I’ve done these tours in the past, they’re with a group meaning you can simply take a small bite of whatever baked good you’re sampling and move on without too much waste as everyone shares. But when you’re one person, alone in the big city surrounded by bakeries, the pastry fatigue sets in.
As a professional, I powered through several more bakeries before calling it quits with a final stop at Pophams – a frequent name on the must-visit bakery lists for London. Even at 2:30pm on a Thursday, the place was bustling, so I settled outside, ordered a coffee and the only remaining savoury pastry on the menu: a Marmite, Schlossberger Cheese & Spring Onion Swirl. It was basically the size of my face meaning there was no way I was finishing it. I was also caught off guard, but pleasantly surprised, by the spring onion which was roasted and swirled into the crevice of the pastry.
All in all, a great day out. I walked more than 20,000 steps, consumed oh so many pastries, and met some truly lovely people in the bakeries I visited. There were highs and lows when it came to the fare on offer, but overall, a worthwhile exercise which I shall repeat again.
I’ll leave you with my final top tip which is even with a mix of sweet and savoury, sometimes the sugar is too much. The best way to combat this is to visit McDonald’s and grab yourself some fries. Trust me. I was also craving gherkins so snuck in a cheeky cheeseburger as well. How I found room in my stomach, I don’t know. What I do know is I was very grateful to have a stash of Rennie with me.
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