An underground station, a converted shipping container, and a law firm office are just some of the locations where craft bakeries have set up new retail outlets.
The latest round-up of bakery shops and cafés opening their doors takes a journey across the country, from central areas of London and Manchester to a shopping centre in the Wirral, up to the Scottish Highlands, and even over to the Isle of Skye. The majority are expansions of estates, although two see brand new ventures unveiled.
Check out more details on each new location as follows:
Auntie Anne’s, Cheshire Oaks
Soft pretzel specialist Auntie Anne’s has opened its latest shop inside a converted shipping container at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet shopping centre. It offers a variety of freshly-baked pretzels, pretzel dogs, and other snacks including the limited edition Biscoff Nuggets created in partnership with Lotus Bakeries.
The Cheshire Oaks site was opened by franchisee Aaron Moorcroft, who also operates another location in Liverpool. Auntie Anne’s retail estate in the UK and Ireland currently stands at 42, as it looks to continue expanding with a target 100 new stores within the next decade.
Ashers, Elgin
Nairn-based bakery firm Ashers has opened its second shop on the high street of Elgin – a relocation of its site in the nearby St Giles Shopping Centre, which was closed in January.
Ashers currently operates 12 shops across Speyside, Moray, and the Highlands. Products among its range include loaves, rolls, pies, butteries, bridies, brownies, biscuits, and cakes. Its signature whisky cakes are sold in individual tins and laced with local single malts, while it previously created special masked versions of its kilted shortbread people during the pandemic. More recently, its morning rolls claimed a national bronze award and a regional silver at the Scottish Baker of the Year 2024/25 competition.
Founded in 1877 by James Asher, the business is now run by great-grandsons Alister (‘Ali’) and George Asher. The fifth generation of the family is also employed with Ali’s son Robbie working on bread and roll production at Ashers’ main bakery at Balmakeith Industrial Estate in Nairn.
Birch, Isle of Skye
Scotland-based speciality coffee roastery Birch has unveiled its third customer-facing site – a micro-bakery and Viennoiserie in Portree, the Isle of Skye’s capital. Located at Broom Place on the outskirts of town, the shop serves up a selection of classic French pastries finished with local Scottish ingredients and foraged island produce, created by Parisian pastry chef Tessa Biriotti and her team.
Birch was founded by Skye local Niall Munro in 2020, opening a café in Portree in 2021 and another one in Inverness last year. The new micro-bakery is at the same site as the roastery, and follows the Scandi-inspired interiors of the existing cafés.
“The food and drink scene on the island is vibrant and thriving, but I saw a gap in the market for good, speciality Viennoiserie,” commented Munro. “Opening the bakery has allowed us to employ a further two members of staff, taking our total employees across Birch up to 14 – something I wouldn’t have envisaged when I started Birch from a wee coffee van less than five years ago.”
Bryson’s, Grange-over-Sands
Family-run bakery firm Bryson’s has taken over the Grange-over-Sands shop of fellow Cumbrian business Grange Bakery, which was forced to close its four sites earlier this year due to the ‘current economic climate’. All existing staff have been re-employed at the rebranded store, which Bryson’s said it was delighted about.
Another retail rescue, seven times the scale, occurred earlier this month in Lancashire with Waterfields reopening shops recently closed by bakery chain Oddie’s.
Bryson’s still produces goods from the same main bakery in Keswick that it opened in 1946, and operates a shop and tea room in the town as well as four more locations across the county in Bowness-on-Windermere, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby, and Cockermouth. It bakes a daily range spanning artisan bread, pies, savoury pastries, cakes, biscuits, and cream cakes – its signature Lakeland Plumbread is a lightly spiced fruit bread made with currants, raisins, and sultanas (notably no plums) that is said to pair perfectly with butter or jam.
The company also supplies wholesale including to northern supermarket Booths, such as its Snowman Cupcakes last Christmas.
Get Baked, Manchester
A new flagship store from Leeds-based sweet bakery brand has been launched in the heart of Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter. Customers can get their hands on a range supplied daily from the company’s production site in Leeds such as its viral hit, the Bertha, a 24-layered chocolate cake. There are also eight varieties of cookies including newcomers chilli & lime and cinnamon & raisin, alongside five brownie lines, 12 dessert pies, and heat-at-home puddings.
The shop is said to have been built on nostalgia, with stainless steel counters and retro flooring – “a design that feels like a cross between an old-school American diner and a futuristic bakery,” it added. Its take-out only with no seating, although its location at Stevenson Square is described as the perfect spot to chill out, tuck in, and thoroughly enjoy your baked goods.
Founded by Rich Meyers in 2011 out of his mum’s kitchen, Get Baked has grown to employ 60 staff across its main bakery, its shop over in Headingley, and the new one in Manchester. It has “big plans for 2025” including expanding production into an adjacent unit, launching an entirely new bakery range, additional outlets, extending its menu for nationwide delivery, and new collaborations. Last year, it partnered with Fortnum & Mason on a three-month pop up at the London store with some exclusive new items.
Lola’s Cupcakes, London
The London-based sweet treat specialist has opened its latest new store at South Kensington tube station. Designed as a grab-and-go destination catering to commuters, museum visitors, and residents, it serves Lola’s signature hand-crafted cupcakes from morning til night, seven days per week. There are also a small number of seats for those looking to enjoy their goodies with a hot beverage.
Lola’s also added a new outlet in the Touchwood Solihull shopping centre, near Birmingham, bringing its current estate up to 26 sites, two vending machines, and 16 lockers (from where to pick up online orders). It is to continue adding travel hub locations with upcoming shops at Paddington and Clapham Junction train stations, joining existing ones at Victoria, and Marylebone, as well as underground stations including London Bridge, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Westminster, Waterloo, Tottenham Court Road, and North Greenwich.
Mrs Bakery, London
Pastry concept Mrs Bakery has opened doors to its new 1,300 sq ft retail space on Little Newport Street in London’s Chinatown. Its range includes a variety of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) bakery delicacies such as Taro Salted Egg Drums, Black Truffle Sea Salt Rolls, Chicken Floss Buns, Pandan Rice Bread, and Matcha Bagels.
“Debuting in Chinatown is a crucial step for Mrs Bakery, and it was vital we partnered with a landlord and location that reflected our dedication to bringing a range of high-quality, ESEA-inspired baked goods to a vibrant community,” commented Mrs Bakery director Lei Jin. “With a core philosophy that revolves around joy and togetherness, we have no doubt that Chinatown London is the place to be.”
The district is also home to other Asian bakery shops including Kova Patisserie, Golden Gate Cake Shop, Wonderful Patisserie, Sakurado, and Chinatown Bakery – the latter operates three outlets there and has ambitions to expand outside of London.
Nova Coffee and Bakery, London
Luminary Bakery has partnered with BM Caterers and law firm Hogan Lovells to launch a new bakery café that empowers women who have experienced homelessness, domestic abuse, violence, or sexual exploitation.
Among the bakery items on offer at Nova are Luminary’s range of cakes and cookies and BM’s signature muffins, toasties, croissants, focaccia, and more. There are also gourmet sandwiches available such as ‘The Supernova’, made with ‘Brett Graham’ English Iberico pork sausage in a muffin with egg, brown sauce and Cheddar; as well as a shredded Cumbrian chicken focaccia with sesame chilli crunch, mayo, pickled vegetables, and shredded lettuce.
The venue, which is provided rent free as part of Hogan Lovells’ Atlantic House office on Farringdon Street, will also house a training academy hosting a monthly coffee skills day for up to six of the women at Luminary’s charity. London-based social enterprise Luminary Bakery has helped over 200 women rebuild their lives through bakery work experience and paid employment at its branches in Camden and Stoke Newington. In 2021, it was the recipient of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category.
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