Bristol's 30 Best Bakeries, Part One
The most comprehensive guide to Bristol's bakeries ever
Bristol residents know that if you go to a gig and see Big Jeff in the crowd, you are in the right place to witness some excellent music. Similarly, if you go to a bakery and see Ishita DasGupta in the queue, you are in line for some superb pastries. Astoundingly, Ishita manages to find the time between a full-time job and raising a child to write — in fact, a couple of years ago she won the prestigious Yan-Kit So Award for Food Writers on Asia. She’s been good enough to share her vast bakery knowledge with us — so vast, in fact, that it does not fit in one piece. Part two will be coming in June; subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it. To keep up with Ishita’s adventures in the meantime, follow her on Instagram.
From sourdough to slow fermented yeast loaves, choux pastry to viennoiserie; Bristol has a wealth of independent bakeries to satiate every baked good buyer. Some of these bakeries are in national guides, chichi magazines or have gone viral on #foodtok with queues to match. Others are low-key community hubs, where people pause, linger, and fill up their literal and metaphorical cups. Independent business has always been an important part of Bristol, shaping its character and neighbourhoods, and in this current economic climate it has never been more important to shop local if you can. Even while writing this piece, three community bakeries have closed their doors, and others have pivoted or changed their way of working. Whether you’re new to Bristol or are on the hunt for fresh inspiration — here’s an inexhaustive list of indie bakeries offering baked goods and so much more.
1. Ahh Toots, Christmas Steps
At the foot of Christmas Steps is Ahh Toots, at home in a Tudor building dating to the 1300s. From the moment you clock eyes on the window display, this place works its magic. Seasonal doughnuts, slabs of cookie pie, sweetie-studded rocky road, and a multitude of layer cakes vie for your attention. Don’t know what to choose? Try their famous tres leche or tiramisu cake. Courgette and lime is also a great shout. On Saturdays they serve a seasonal meringue pie which is well worth a weekend trip.
17 Christmas Street, BS1 5BT | Open Tuesday - Saturday | ahhtoots.com
2. Anna Cake Couture, Clifton Village
Beautifully decorated celebration cakes and a swag of flowers over the doorway may attract your attention, but it’s the macarons in a rainbow of colours that will make you stay. Build your own box with flavours like mini egg, raspberry and rose, and sweet shop sour cherry. Chunky cookies are also good here, with cake batter sprinkle or the malt mallow crunch: sure fire hits.
7A Boyce’s Avenue, BS8 4AA | Seven days a week | thisisanna.co.uk
3. The Bakehouse, Totterdown
Next door to the iconic Banana Boat in Totterdown, The Bakehouse is a family run establishment that offers a selection of baked goods, as well as store cupboard essentials. Try their tahini halva brownies (on the cake-ier end of the spectrum), or one of their quad cakes, a cube of layer cake with flavours like raspberry and vanilla, black forest or lemon and blueberry. They make pretty celebration cakes here (on request) too, topped with ganache or butter cream and scattered with herbs and petals.
118 Oxford Street, BS3 4RL | Monday - Saturday | instagram.com/bakehouse_totterdown
4. Bakesmiths, Whiteladies Road
Bakesmiths is a light and airy café that is laptop friendly, based in what used to be Henry Africa’s Hothouse - IYKYK. Fuel your work with locally-roasted coffee and a salted white chocolate matcha slice, or perhaps one of their butter buns. Sourdough loaves are also available, once baked on site and snapped up quickly by those in the know. Now, all their offerings are baked daily at their expanded sister location, Bakehouse at Cakesmiths, on St Phillips Rd (near the Bristol and Bath cycle path) — a wholesale supplier of cakes, sourdough and small batch loaves that doubles as an open plan café-bakery.
65 Whiteladies Road, BS8 2LY | Seven days a week | bakesmiths.co.uk
5. Bristanbul, Gloucester Road
Bristanbul on Gloucester Road has an eye-catching window full of party cakes and rows of fondant iced player characters, perfect for your gaming tween. Go past these to find their Turkish bakes and specialties, freshly made each day. Grab a sesame crusted simit to go with your coffee or honey-soaked baklava. My favourite is their gözleme; a traditionally made flatbread filled and folded. Spinach and feta or potato and onion are my go-to.
137 Gloucester Road, BS7 8AX | Seven days a week | bristanbul.co.uk
6. Bristol’Éclair, Whiteladies Road
Recently moved from their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spot at the top of Whiteladies Road, Bristol L’Éclair is now diagonally opposite the Everyman Cinema. Specialising in eclairs and other choux-based confections, their regular flavours include classic vanilla crème patisserie and chocolate, lemon meringue pie, and pistachio. Alongside, there is a special of the month, which at the time of writing is white chocolate and pistachio kunafa.
91A Whiteladies Road, BS8 2NT | Wednesday - Sunday | bristoleclair
7. Bristol Loaf, Bedminster
Having recently opened their fourth site within the city, Bristol Loaf is a hyper-local chain baking daily at their Redfield and Bedminster locations. Cheddar and Marmite knots are a must for anyone who loves savoury pastries and their PBJ pain suisse is an indulgent special. Filled buns, sandwiches and pizza are also available, the offerings changing on a regular basis. Home also to sibling company, Native Vine, you can pick up a bottle of natural wine to take home with your loaf too.
96 Bedminster Parade, BS3 4HL | Seven days a week | bristolloaf.co.uk
8. Cake Tin, St Michael’s Hill
Chunky loaded cookies with soft gooey centres are the speciality at Cake Tin on St Michael’s Hill. Quality ingredients, generously packed into each bite, make for a riot of textures and crunch. Regular flavours include fruity oatmeal; almond cherry; Biscoff; chocolate chip walnut and triple chocolate chip. Specials change frequently, often with a seasonal element, and you can even top your cookie with a helping of soft serve.
151 St Michael's Hill, BS2 8DB | Wednesday - Saturday | caketin.co.uk
9. Catley’s, Clifton Village
Close to Boyce’s Avenue and the busy arcade, the coral pink shopfront of Catley’s often has a running club milling about outside, stopping to refuel post-exercise. This is the place to indulge in S’mores Danishes, Biscoff babkas, chocolate custard doughnuts and cinnamon rolls. When it’s rhubarb season, you must grab a slice of rhubarb meringue pie with mountainous peak of toasted meringue. Catley’s also has a new headquarters and second site, in St Annes, on Wootton Road.
14 King's Road, BS8 4AB | Friday - Sunday | instagram.com/catleys_
10. Dude Cake, various locations
For milk cake fans, Dude Cake makes the best in Bristol. Pistachio and rose, their original, is the lightest sponge, soaked in fragrant, spiced malai. For pure indulgence, try their Matilda Kunafe: a Bruce Bogtrotter style chocolate fudge cake, layered with kunafe, pistachio crema and a puddle of milk chocolate ganache. They also make an excellent Magnolia Bakery style banana pudding and chocolate crunch cake with homemade feuilletine. Order via Instagram @dudecake_, it really is worth the effort.
11. Everest Bread, Fishponds
Everest Bread is a micro-bakery based in Fishponds specialising in sourdough loaves and vegan bakes. Pre-order online Monday to Wednesday for local delivery or pick up on Friday. You can also buy goodies from Artichoke Wholefoods, The Hatch, and Wild Oats. Try one of their seasonal sweet buns such as yuzu curd, coconut and blackberry or plum custard and crumble. Their miso and black sesame cookies are also great, as are their slices of pizza al taglio with homemade almond ricotta.
Orders placed Monday - Wednesday for Friday collection | instagram.com/everest_bread
12. Farro, St Paul’s
Heritage grains, milled on site, go into the breads and pastries at Farro Bakery. Grab an emmer loaf or a monthly special, such as marbled rye or tourte de siegle to have with some cultured butter. Viennoiserie is also a strong point: if you love savoury things, try their cigar shaped herb and cream cheese-filled croissants. For a sweet tooth, get a West Country Queen, Farro’s take on a kouign amann, filled with a smooth, tart, apple butter.
1 Brunswick Square, BS2 8PE | Tuesday - Sunday | farro.co.uk
13. Forest Bakery, The Dings
Specialising in plant-based cakes and pastries, plus sourdough loaves, Forest Bakery sits within the railway arches close to Temple Quarter. Their iced pecan Forest bun is a signature, but other offerings change regularly. Try and catch their chocolate-dipped pistachio croissants or black tahini and miso caramel swirls. Look out also for their plant-based Friday night pizzas, with locally-brewed pints from nearby Unwins and Little Martha.
Arch 26 Oxford Street, BS2 0QT | Tuesday - Saturday | theforestbakery.co.uk
14. 404 Bakes, various locations
Having recently closed their café doors to concentrate on wholesale work, chances are, if you’ve enjoyed a vegan bake in your favourite Bristol café, it was 404 Bakes. Cherry Biscoff brownies and almond croissant blondies are popular, but it’s their slices of layer cake you must seek out. Flavours like spiced banana, red currant jam and espresso butter cream or chamomile, lavender, lemon curd and lemon sherbet are a delight.
15. Guild of Dough, Ashley Down Road
Supplying a number of Bristol’s cafes and restaurants with their baguettes and loaves, Guild of Dough now have their own café-bakery where you can pop in and buy their confections. Slices of lemon drizzle with mascarpone and gooseberry compote are a joy and sticky blueberry, lemon and white chocolate buns standout. If it’s on, their S’mores brownie alongside a cup of coffee is definitely a good idea.
105 Ashley Down Road, BS7 9JT | Seven days a week | guildofdough.co.uk
All words and photos by Ishita DasGupta
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Woah! Game changer. Gluten intolerance will be well and truly put to the test next time I'm in Brizzle