The best independent bakeries in London

For some, chocolate and sweet confections are irresistible, and for others—myself included—well, to be frank, I’d throw chocolates under the bus in favour of a freshly baked cardamom bun, complemented by a dark roast coffee brewed pour-over style. Different strokes for different folks as they say.

Below is a selection of some of the best independent bakeries in London. If you’re looking for a coffee to go with your baked goods, check out this selection of the best independent coffee shops in London.

Breadery

Breadery is a tiny hole-in-the-wall bakery on Roman Road I frequent often. When I walk in, I’m greeted with a smile and the statement (not question) “cardamom bun.” I also regularly purchase their sourdough loaves—and as a California native, I can tell you bakers worth their weight in flour are the only folk in London with higher standards for sourdough bread than a Californian. Other usual suspects in my order history include cinnamon buns, almond croissants, pain au chocolates, and oat flat whites. I’m utterly convinced that anything Breadery sells is pure bakery gold and made with love.

Bow, E3 | instagram.com/breaderybakery

Toad Bakery

A trip to Toad usually involves whatever sandwich sounds good on the day, made with their Californian-approved sourdough, and a sweet treat. Or two. I like this London bakery for its inventiveness in flavour-pairing without sacrificing what ultimately should be something delicious. There’s always something new and wickedly delightful on the regularly changing seasonal menu of breads, cakes, pastries, and sandwiches. Some past favourites have included meringue surprise cake, anise and orange blossom iced finger, and too many sandwiches and sun buns to recount. Big fan of the sun buns.

Camberwell, SE5 | toadbakery.com

Fortitude Bakehouse

Fortitude is for the folk who love cream, frosting and sweet confection to perfection, with arguably the best beignets in London. I patron Fortitude for their mean sandwiches and any baked good unadorned of frosting—call me a heretic, but it’s just not my thing, although I do admit their beignets are fantastic and I was able to conquer an entire beignet with the help of a generous portion of coffee. Whilst the beignets are a must, I also highly recommend the Moroccan honey & almond tart and the raspberry & rosewater Mont St. Michel shortcake if they’re on the menu, and the Galician Serrano ham with Monte Enebro goat cheese on a freshly baked brioche bun was a delicious work of art.

Bloomsbury, WC1N | instagram.com/fortitudebakehouse

Bunhead Bakery

Over the course of a few months, Bunhead Bakery exploded onto the South London bakery scene. Female and Palestinian-owned, founder and head baker Sara Assad-Mannings has baked her heritage into sourdough buns with flavors like rose and cardamom, baklava, and spiced Medjool date. Between Thursday and Sunday, the queue is out the door and around the street, representing the city’s dedication to Palestinian solidarity (the bakery hosts fundraisers and donates proceeds regularly) and its love for some really good buns. It’s a win-win, in my book.

Herne Hill, SE24 | bunheadbakery.com

Jolene

With multiple coffee and pastry outposts across East London, Jolene’s original location has stood its ground. Right along Newington Green, its location is a no-brainer—grab one of their glorious seasonal sandwiches (on bread made with flour they mill themselves) and a pastry for later, take it to the park, and enjoy the quiet village feel of the neighbourhood. The restaurant, an industrial-chic, candlelit space with a daily changing menu, is also wonderful. If you stay post-bakery hours for a meal, see if you can grab one of their Too Good To Go bags to have the next morning.

Newington Green, N16 | jolenen16.com

Sourdough Sophia

Sourdough Sophia is a lockdown success story. Sophia Sutton-Jones transformed a micro bakery in her dining room and later upgraded to a brick-and-mortar bakery in Crouch End, entirely funded by the London locals who couldn’t get enough of her baked goods. Not only has Sourdough Sophia won awards for their bread, but I would argue it’s one of the best bakeries in London for cruffins, and I can proudly report that the Basque cheesecake has been well and truly mastered here. I have it on good authority that a second location is in the works.

Crouch End, N8 | sourdoughsophia.co.uk

Margot Bakery

The London bakery scene feels dominated by East End and South London bakeries, so it’s a nice change of scenery to venture north for some baked goods. Margot Bakery located in East Finchley is a community bakery through and through. A self-proclaimed sourdough bakery, the bread and pastries, including babka, brioche and croissants are leavened with sourdough as the good bakers at Margot believe that this makes the best-baked goods possible; who am I to disagree? The sourdough focaccia and sandwiches won me over just as much as the sweet treats and the neighbourhood-spot atmosphere. I’ve yet to check out sister bakery, Holloway Model Bakery, but I expect it will be just as good.

East Finchley, N2 | margotbakery.co.uk

Pavilion

One of my favourite places for a cardamom bun—I’m anything but a casual dabbler of the cardamom bun, so my praise is not dished out lightly. Pavilion’s Victoria Park location is one of my preferred spots on early weekend mornings, I take my oat flat white and pastries outside, sit under a tree and admire the lake. On a Sunday, the Run Club takes over and I happily munch on my almond croissant wondering about the miles they run whilst feeling quite content with my coffee and baked goods. The bakery at Pavilion mixes, makes, laminates and shapes throughout the day then bakes overnight to sell their goods first thing in the morning. Sweet or savoury, I’ve never come away disappointed.

Victoria Park, E9 | pavilionbread.com/our-bakery

Layla Bakery

Typical of the best London bakeries, the golden rule Early bird gets the bun is true and strong at Layla. I would arrive early regardless of wanting the freshest seasonal baked goods, as most of the day the queue of people is too much to bear. I take my spiced bun, Guinness & hazelnut pain Suisse, and my oat flat white and enjoy the lot on a walk towards Meanwhile Gardens and the canal. I once had a fennel and pear sandwich with feta and walnut pesto and a house-made Earl Grey & pine iced tea, both bordered on the divine.

Ladbroke Grove, W10 | laylabakery.com

Violet Cakes

Tucked on an unassuming residential street in Hackney, Violet’s gorgeous creamsicle-striped awning sticks out against the surrounding trees. Founded by Californian-turned-Londoner Claire Ptak, this small but mighty bakery utilises a blend of British and American culinary traditions to create fresh takes on classic bakes, like Amalfi lemon and elderflower cupcakes, and their famous egg yolk chocolate chip cookie. Violet Bakery really knows what they’re doing—they made Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding cake (and, less impressively, my birthday cake). Go on a nice sunny day to enjoy a treat and coffee on their sun-spotted outdoor patio, or take it away for a picnic in the park.

London Fields, E8 | ​​violetcakes.com

Chatsworth Bakehouse

Follow the half-mile queue along the previously unfashionable Anerley Road at lunchtime and you’ll find the pillar box-red Chatsworth Bakehouse. Founded in 2020 as a lockdown folly, it has turned into one of the most hyped bakeries in South London. Arguably their signatures are mammoth sandwiches filled to the brim with imaginative flavour combos bursting between fluffy focaccia that would have most Barese bakers exclaiming to the gods. The sandwich menu changes weekly, with a single flavour on the menu which becomes available to buy on a Monday and sells out quicker than tickets for a Taylor Swift gig. Worry not though, they are opening bigger premises a couple of doors down. Aside from their sarnies, the Basque cheesecake, cereal brown butter cookies and grandma pizza slices are all stalwarts that should not be missed.

Anerley, CR0 | chatsworthbakehouse.com

E5 Bakehouse

E5 Bakehouse needs no introduction for most Londoners. Sourdough bakery, mill, shop and school tucked under a railway arch in London Fields. Well-known and well-loved by Londoners and local chefs alike for good reasons, E5 has mastered it all—a neighbourhood spot with delicious baked goods, bread, cakes, lunch, and coffee. I find myself here in the morning to take bread away, in the afternoon for coffee and a sweet treat, by myself or with a mate. Sometimes I just sit by the mill and become hypnotised by the flowing grains. There’s not much that can be said about this London bakery that hasn’t already been said. In short, I’ve never been let down by E5.

Lond Fields, E8 | e5bakehouse.com

The Dusty Knuckle Bakery

Like E5, the Dusty Knuckle shouldn’t need an introduction. When you’ve successfully published a book and Yotam Ottolenghi is singing the praises of your loaves, the cat is well and truly out of the bag. Once you find your way down a concerningly isolated alleyway off Kingsland Road, you’re greeted with a flock of East Londoners popping in for a treat, a meal, or their weekly loaf of bread. Here’s the short of it—I go for the sandwiches, I’ve yet to eat one that didn’t hit the spot, and the bread is perfect every time.

Dalston, E8 | thedustyknuckle.com

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