Bakeries in the South West were well represented on a list celebrating some of the best bread in the UK. In the article, writers from the Financial Times included four bakeries from this part of the country.
Writer Rosanna Dodds named two Somerset bakeries – the Landrace Bakery in Bath and Frome’s Rye Bakery. Sharing the news, Landrace said: “Thrilled to feature in this list alongside so many friends and peers we admire and respect. A big focus of our work is reimagining bread—and food more broadly—as a product of agriculture. So we’ll only hang up our canvas aprons when such a list exists as the ’20 Best Regional Stone Mills in the UK’.”
The guide said about the bakery: “For a snack on the go, the fennel-studded sausage rolls are a must. To take home there’s a host of different sourdough loaves such as wholemeal porridge bread and the signature country loaf. Weekenders should opt for the Landrace Miche, a wholesome loaf that, thanks to its high proportion of wholemeal flours, should last throughout the week (according to the bakery it’s at its best by day three).”
The Rye Bakery in Frome, which has two locations, on Catherine Hill and by the railway station was praised for its use of ancient grains. The guide said: “On a narrow side street just off Catherine Hill, families chatter over cardamom buns at the many tables, queues snake out of the door, and waiting staff rush around with hot breakfast plates. Head straight to the shelves at the back, where you’ll find bread made from local and ancient grains such as Red Lammas, April Bearded and Einkorn. There’s a second location near the station – it doesn’t have an organ or a star-spangled ceiling (the original café is based in an old church), but the easy-access bakes make up for it.“
Over in Bristol, Farro bakery was singled out for praise. The guide said: “Head here for flaky French kouigns, canelés de Bordeaux and puff pastry filled with poached rhubarb and white chocolate custard. The bakes might be traditional – think Italian panforte, sourdough boules and sticky canelés – but Farro’s approach is wholly modern, offering twists in the form of peach-filled choux pastry, croissant honey crisps and orange and tonka bean pastéis de nata. Their grains come from agroecological and organic UK farms.“
Further south and west, Coombeshead Bakery in Launceston, Cornwall, got the plaudits with “a slice of bread slathered with butter and jam” from there described as “one of the nicest things about Cornwall”.
Writer Fiona Golfar said: “Locals are obsessed with its organic sourdough, made from heritage varieties of wheat, spelt and rye. The bakery sits in an old stable block on the grounds of Coombeshead Farm, the popular hotel and restaurant founded by chefs Tom Adams and April Bloomfield in 2018. Ben Glazer heads up the bakery division, supplying hotels, restaurants and farm shops across the West Country, including Fowey hotspot Fitzroy. A series of one-day bread workshops are available throughout the year.”
