I need to be honest: this wasn’t my first visit to Bake. My husband and I had an impromptu visit a month earlier with friends visiting from Dublin.
This, however, does make for a more rounded review, as I’ve consumed more products than one could
possibly manage in just the one visit!
It was much quieter on the second visit; it was 10.30am on a Friday, with the prior visit being a similar time on a Sunday. There were queues around the corner, and whilst there were none this time, all tables except one were occupied. I also got very lucky in the sense that, aside from my arrival, there was an inside queue the whole hour I was there. It’s impossible to get bored queueing inside Bake, though, with their striking display cabinet upon entry, addictive bakery aromas smacking you in the face, alongside an open kitchen where you can watch pastry chefs hard at work.
Ok, I know I’m British, but enough of queue talking and onto more important things……..tasty baked goods.
Bake has been open a little over a month, and its modern twist on nostalgic baked classics has taken Leeds by storm, regularly selling out. It is the third city centre opening by Tom Stafford, who is also behind the well- established Doh’hut (award winning donuts) and Things in Bread (incredible fresh
sandwiches).
Some of my early memories are the smells and warmth of walking into bakeries with my grandparents or parents, waiting impatiently for the pastry fillings to cool enough to eat, and being covered in doughnut sugar. Bake certainly evoked these memories on my visits.
Let’s start with the savouries. Bake’s sausage roll I have to say is one of the best I’ve had. The delicious buttery pastry melts in your mouth, and the well-seasoned herbed filling hits all the right spots. Their chicken bake was just as insanely good. Limited on how many of these they can make in a day owing to the lengthy time taken making their roux, I felt lucky to get one. Then the delicious buttery pastry was back again, this time with the most delicious creamy chicken filling. Two of my favourite childhood pastries were honoured in the best way possible.
Other savoury products tried included a savoury focaccia slice. It was fluffy and bouncy inside with an oily, crispy bottom, drizzled with sweet balsamic vinegar and a nutty fresh pesto. Toppings change regularly, with sweet versions also available including an old school cornflake cake topping making an appearance on the counter. In the name of honest feedback, my husband would have preferred a
stronger cheese flavour in his cheese and potato bake. Granted, he is a cheese addict.
Now onto the sweet goods. Vanilla slice was my dad’s favourite, so I had to try this. According to Bake’s social media video, this takes the longest to make, with its homemade custard and millefeuille layers. It was absolute heaven, indulgent custard oozing out with every bite of the crispy layers. Dad would have approved. In honour of childhood memories, I had to also try the raspberry jam doughnut. The filling was thinner than the standard doughnut; it was more of a syrupy consistency, and there’s the twist: its tangy sweetness was divine.
Some of the menu does vary on a daily/weekly basis, so different type of bakes can be expected. It’s recommended to get down there early if you can before sell out. Price wise, yes, you pay considerably more than a well-known bakery chain (around £3 to £5 for an item here), but the well-known bakery chain products cost less for a reason. Everything at Bake is hand made in house, with some considerable time
taken to make them, using quality ingredients including sausage meat from Lishman’s in Ilkley. It’s also worth noting that it’s around 50p cheaper per item to take out.
At the end of my second visit, I stood up brushing down my all-black attire, which was covered with pastry flakes and sugar, a sign of a good fest in my eyes.
Bake is situated down at the banks of Mustard Wharf, just a few minutes’ walk from Leeds Train station’s South entrance. They don’t take bookings, but the venue has room for 30 indoor covers, plus 25 outside covers, perfect for spring and summer approaching.
It appears Bake has had an amazing opening few weeks, and it is set to become an important part of the Leeds food scene for many years to come.
Give Bake a follow on Instagram to keep up to date with the latest happenings.
@Bake_leeds
Open
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. until sell out.
Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. until sell out.
Mustard Approach
Mustard Wharf
Lockside
Holbeck
Leeds
LS1 4EY
