Get the laminated low-down on the South West’s most sought-after bakeries where sweet and savoury bakes are crafted with equal levels of passion and skill
Longstraw, Somerset
This need-to-know organic bakery in Wiveliscombe, just west of Taunton, is tucked away on a small industrial estate where the fresh-bakes counter opens for just one afternoon a week.
The bakery’s commitment to using the best organic ingredients is hugely important to founders Freddie Bullough and James Cartwright, who believe it not only helps the flavours sing but it also ensures the grain is part of a wider sustainable food system. Longstraw uses nothing but UK-grown, stoneground wheat and rye, and work with the South West Grain Network (of which they’re coordinating members) to source ingredients as locally as possible.
If you haven’t already ordered online, pitch up punctually on Friday at midday as the Longstraw doors fling open. Stock up on pillowy loaves and swirly cinnamon buns for heavenly weekend breakfasts, or go deliciously rogue with a slice of coffee-custard bread-and-butter pudding or a dark chocolate rye cookie (or two). Savoury treats can include seasonal specials like blue cheddar, leek and potato turnovers while weekly-changing pizza flavours such as panela ham, onion and cheddar pizza are served romana style.
Lilac Bakery, Devon
Listed by The Telegraph as one of the country’s best bakeries, this smart yet comforting spot in Exeter’s St Thomas area offers an impressive range of bakes. Lovingly crafted by Eddie and Jenn Goodwin, they rise at dawn to make sourdough, sausage rolls, cakes, laminated pastries and plenty more for hungry Exonians.
Swing by as early as 8am Tuesday to Friday, 9am Saturday or 9.30am Sunday to get first pick of delights such as lemon meringue pie cruffins, peach-bejewelled Danish pastries, and pistachio-and-mascarpone brioche. It’s more than worth the early start.
The team’s ethically sourced ingredients include 100 per cent South West-grown flour, supplied via the South West Grain Network. The flour shines throughout the all-day and lunch menus, which feature pimped-up toasties, focaccia sarnies and savoury croissants, served alongside expertly prepped coffee – to have in or take away.
At The Chapel, Somerset
At The Chapel in Bruton is more than just a slick spot for lunch or dinner – it’s also home to an in-house artisan bakery. Head baker Tom Hitchmough has been blazing a trail with traditional breadmaking for years, always working with a wood-fired oven and using time-honoured methods to create his moreish morsels.
Slow is the flow at this bakery. Every loaf is slow fermented and made with the holy trinity of stoneground organic flour, water and salt, with a scattering of seeds and fruits added as and when the recipes demand.
Peak freshness is guaranteed, as everything from classic croissants to iced treats is baked daily. Luckily for dough obsessives across the South West, At The Chapel hosts pop-up bakeries throughout the week at its sister Stay Original hotels, in destinations including Somerton, Wedmore, Shaftesbury, Bradford-on-Avon and Dorchester. Check the link for more details.
The Curator, Devon
Don’t be fooled into thinking coffee is the main focus at The Curator – the bakery arm of this outfit is every bit as high quality as the artisan coffee served in its cafes.
With four cafes to its name and plenty more stockists besides, The Curator is undeniably a gem. It was inspired by a family bakery in Ancona, which initially supplied its Devonian descendant with a decades-old sourdough starter – still used in every loaf today.
The bakery shares a building with the family’s wood-fired coffee roaster, and the deliberately protracted process of slow fermentation, good ingredients and hands-on repetition creates baked goods brimming with flavour and rooted in everyday rituals. Everything from ciabattine (ciabatta rolls) to hazelnut praline muffins is made in-house, and although the Italian link is strong, they’re fiercely committed to local sourcing for ingredients to complement the 00 flour they bring in from Italy.
Electric Bakery, Cornwall
Wednesday is always a joyous day in Bude – it’s when Electric Bakery opens its doors for the week.
With a proud return to the old ways of using wild yeast and natural fermentation, Electric’s sourdough bread requires only four ingredients: flour, water, salt and time. Order online to beat the sold-out blues and browse the huge range of eats, from sourdough batards to white tin loaves, while sweeter options include cinnamon sugar einkorn doughnuts.
Snack addicts can stock up on miso mushroom sausage rolls or the meaty pork-and-fennel equivalent. Even frozen pasties – veggie and otherwise – can be dropped into the online basket for those who like to plan ahead. And anyone with serious Saturday-morning hunger pangs should keep an eye on Instagram for updates on the legendary Al’s Saturday Lunch Special.
Heartbreak Bakery, Devon
The clue’s in the name. In fact, demand for these heartbreakingly delicious goods – baked fresh every day – is so strong that the bakery recently moved into its own larger premises in nearby Chivenor, where it also has a walk-in counter to complement the original cafe (and bakery) in Braunton.
Considerate ingredients are a must at Heartbreak, where local, ethical and organic foodstuffs rule. Wildfarmed flour (produced using regenerative farming and free of pesticides), butter from The Edinburgh Butter Co. (no funny bovaer business for Heartbreak), local free-range eggs and Pump Street Chocolate are all staples.
While the pistachio cruffins and pains suisses have sealed Heartbreak’s reputation as a go-to doughy heaven, it’s the divine doughnuts – home-delivered during lockdown – that changed the course of Heartbreak’s history and can still be pre-ordered for collection or bought ad hoc in store to this very day.
Hungry for more after reading our curation of the best bakeries in the South West? Feast on more round-ups, features and reviews here.
