Brand-new craft bakery shops spread across the length of England have swung open their doors to members of the public.
There are some first-time retail ventures from bakers stepping up in the market, and a few extensions of established bakery estates. Meanwhile, businesses are trialling new concepts such as self-service kiosks.
Check out our latest round-up of new openings from 10 different bakery firms:
Baked Bean, Ironbridge, Shropshire
The team behind Embers Café in Coalbrookdale – which includes ‘Shropshire Lad’ Adam Purnell, Tess Sharp and Bruce Sharp – has set up a new bakery and coffee shop called Baked Bean in nearby Ironbridge village.
Open Wednesdays to Sundays, the takeaway-only site offers a range of fresh breads, pastries, cakes, and sandwiches (on focaccia, farmhouse bread or milk bread), as well as coffee from Ludlow-based roastery Hundred House Coffee. It also sells local jams, chutneys, coffee beans, and merchandise.
All baked good are produced by head baker Kieron Smith and colleagues in a shared space at Havenhills Field & Kitchen, around five miles away.
Bara, Peckham, London
On a short, leafy market street that links two of its busiest corridors (Rye Lane & Bellenden Road) can be found Peckham’s newest café, Bara. The brainchild of Masterchef Professionals quarter-finalist Cecily Dalladay and former head chef Zoë Heimann, the concept embodies their mutual love of bread whilst being an ode to Dalladay’s Welsh background.
Highlights of its menu include Caerphilly Cheesesteak, made with eight-hour smoked Welsh beef brisket, Caerphilly cheese, and Blas Y Tir leeks; and the Pembrokeshire Lobster Roll, comprised of poached Câr-y-Môr lobster in a bisque mayonnaise. There’s also brunch offerings like the Swansea Breakfast that features smoked bacon, leeks, cockles, and laverbread on toasted focaccia; along with the Brown Crab Rarebit or the Leek Bubble & Squeak, Egg & Cheese Focaccia. Sweet treats include classics such as Bara Brith (fruit loaf infused with tea).
Bara also focuses on sustainability with all breads made using regenerative flour from Wildfarmed. It plans to launch an entry-to-work scheme, supporting marginalised groups like asylum seekers who face unfair barriers to jobs.
Bread Ahead, Leicester Square, London
In addition to major international expansion plans, Bread Ahead has also continued adding new sites in its home nation. Marking its sixth UK bakery – adding to those in Borough Market, Bromley, Pavilion Road (which is also home to The Tea House), South Kensington, and Wembley – is a new shop inside the Market Place food hall next to Leicester Square’s celebrated Odeon cinema.
Open late (10pm) to cater to cinema or theatre goers, it offers sourdough pizza option like Margherita with Basil, Cheddar & Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Spicy Italian Sausage with Ricotta, Red Onion & Hot Honey, and Roasted Aubergine with Pesto & Feta. There are signature doughnuts too, such as freshly torched Crème Brûlée, Blackcurrant Cheesecake, and Salted Caramel & Honeycomb varieties until 10pm.
Bread Ahead also operates market stalls at Granary Square and Kings Cross, and had a three-month pop up at Harvey Nichols Manchester that ended in January.
Flour & Bean, Norwich
Bakery and coffee chain Flour & Bean has added a tenth site to its estate spread across Norfolk. Located on St Georges Street in Norwich city centre, it offers seating for 30 customers inside and a further 12 outside. The menu includes the brand’s signature sourdough loaves and bestsellers such as sausage rolls, cheese straws, chocolate oat slices, Danish pastries, and Belgian buns.
Originally founded in 2011 as The Bakehouse before rebranding to Flour & Bean, the business is run by sisters Rachel Drozd and Alissa Williams and their father David Laingchild whilst operating under an Employee Ownership Trust. It has two bakery facilities in Norwich – one produces confectionery and pastries whilst the other specialises in sourdough and breads and was opened last summer following a £250k investment.
In addition to its 10 outlets, which includes a concession inside Norwich International Airport, the company also has three sandwich vans.
Heidi, Richmond rail station, London
An eighth shop has been opened by independent bakery brand Heidi, whose estate spans West London, Berkshire, Surrey, and Hampshire. The new 753 sq ft site inside the concourse of Richmond rail station also includes an adjacent 12-cover seating area within the ticket hall. Its the second travel hub location after a shop in Windsor & Eton station, which is close by its central production unit under the Windsor railway arches.
Heidi’s range focusses on classic pastries like Butter Croissants, Pain aux Raisins, and Twice-Baked Almond Croissants, alongside bespoke seasonal products such as Chocolate Hazelnut Cruffins and Crème Brûlée Croissants. It also serves savoury options including filled buns and croissants, focaccia sandwiches, quiches, and fresh salads.
“Our goal is to offer commuters and locals a proper, handmade alternative to the usual high street chains – right in the heart of town and their commute,” said Heidi co-owner Edward Durkin, adding that his favourite feature of the new shop was the nine-metre-long marble counter running along its length.
Koselig Bakeri, Stokesley, North Yorkshire
Taking its name from the Norwegian for “cosy”, Koselig has embraced a third site in the town of Stokesley. This is around nine miles down the road from the original bakery in Guisborough, which also supplies its shop further along in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The company was founded in 2021 by sisters Emily and Megan Grocutt, Megan’s partner David Mcananey, and family friend Fiona Connolly.
The new 1,400 sq ft site in Stokesley comprises a bakery counter and coffee shop downstairs and an upstairs seating area. Its range consists of laminated pastries, vegan brioche, classic Swedish-style cinnamon buns, sourdough, and focaccia. Signature items include the cruffins in rotating monthly flavours such as tiramisu, caramel crunch, s’mores, and white chocolate Baileys ganache.
Interior design is classic warm, and welcoming and in keeping with the style of the property – existing features such as a beautiful terracotta tiled ground floor and an exposed brick chimney breast have been maintained.
Little Vic’s, Derby
Aston Higton trained as a sourdough pizza chef whilst studying for his business management degree in Bristol, subsequently managing two sites for PizzaRova and working at restaurants including with his dad back in Derby. Feeling that the Midlands city was lacking a quality, independent food spot, particularly for the lunchtime crowd, he has now branched out with his own solo venture on Victoria Street: a takeaway sandwich deli called Little Vic’s.
Among the sandwiches served through a street-side hatch are signature creations like The New York Dip, consisting of slow-cooked beef topside, house mayo, mustard, pickles, Emmental cheese, and caramelised onions on grainy bloomer bread, finished with crispy onions. There’s also The Baz Mayo – an Asian-inspired take on a classic egg mayo sarnie – made with chopped egg whites, smashed hard-boiled yolks, charred spring onions, fresh spring onion tops, chilli crisp, salt and pepper, all brought together with Yoshida house mayo inside soft white slices.
Bread is supplied by Luke Evans Bakery in nearby Riddings, while sweet bakery treats such as lemon polenta cake, dark chocolate fudge brownies, and banana bread are produced on site. Higton told British Baker that he intends to move to a larger location offering dine-in facilities and expanded menu, and is also exploring operating a mobile food truck to cater events and help grow the brand’s presence.
Lola’s Cupcakes, Manchester
The London-based sweet treat brand has opened its first northern location, a new kiosk under the main dome of the Trafford Centre in Manchester. This adds to its estate of 28 stores as well as 20 refrigerated collection lockers across train stations, shopping centres, and high streets.
The Trafford Centre was chosen as part of a strategy to enter markets where “premium yet accessible performs best”, with the shopper profile (23 million visitors annually) closely mirroring that of Lola’s London customer base. It also presents an opportunity to test and refine the kiosk model ahead of a wider rollout.
“With ambitious plans to expand both our store estate and locker network over the next three years, we’re confident Lola’s can become a truly national brand while continuing to deliver the quality and experience our customers expect,” commented managing director Asher Budwig.
Routledges, Carlisle
Since its establishment way back in 1917, Routledges has grown to operate seven stores across Carlisle. As a way of reducing running costs, it recently converted its shop inside The Market Hall shopping centre into a self-service site with two touchscreen ordering kiosks taking card-only payments, thus avoiding the need for till staff. The store, dubbed ‘Routledges 2.0’, was said to have the best ever set up seen from an Environmental Health Officer standpoint following recent inspections.
Savings are being passed onto customers, with price cuts across its range including sausage rolls from just £1.25, pies from £1.40, filled rolls from £2, and cookies or cakes from £1. The company revealed its first week had gone “extremely well” and believed the new concept could be rolled out at its other shops as well as all future bakeries.
Sourdough Hub, Newmarket
Malta-native and former concert pianist Jennifer Marshall has moved her Newmarket-based artisan bakery business from a production unit on Craven Way to the Suffolk town’s high street. Products are made using organic stone-milled flour sourced from Wicken Windmill, Prior Flours, or Foster’s Flours which are all located within a few miles radius.
Among Sourdough Hub’s bestsellers are its 100% Heritage Loaf, its weekend Cream Fingers, and its Chocolate Pecan & Honey Babkas. It recently introduced pizza slices on Fridays and Saturdays that have proven popular. Cinnamon rolls are a staple favourite too, and the company operates a no-waste policy with leftover rolls (if they are any) turned into Cinnamon Bread & Butter Puddings. Special surprise inclusion loaves are unveiled every Saturday, such as the Caramelised Onion & Cheddar and Pesto & Sun-blushed Tomato varieties.
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