Best Bakeries in Hexham

The Best Bakeries in Hexham

Hexham may be a small market town, but its baking scene has a level of quality that would shame many a larger city. From award-worthy sourdough to legendary cardamom buns, here's where to find the best bread, pastries and baked goods in Hexham.

The Grateful Bread

The Grateful Bread is the jewel in Hexham's baking crown. This small, family-run artisan bakery at 10 Market Street opened in 2020 and quickly built a devoted following — and a national reputation for its naturally leavened sourdoughs.

The bakery is open Tuesday to Saturday, but the advice from regulars is consistent: arrive before 10am. Popular loaves — particularly the Parmesan and Sundried Tomato White Sourdough and the Malted Brown Sourdough — sell out fast. The cardamom buns are in a class of their own, and the lunchtime sandwiches have their own following.

The Hexham Courant has described the bakery as producing the "world's best bread" — high praise, but not obviously an exaggeration.

Find them at: 10 Market Street, Hexham (adjacent to the Market Place)

Hexham Farmers' Market

Hexham holds one of Northumberland's best farmers' markets twice monthly in the Market Place. It regularly features artisan bread producers from across the region. Bread and Roses, based in Alnwick, bring their naturally leavened sourdoughs — all produced using local grains and traditional methods — and sell out regularly.

The market is worth planning a Saturday morning around, particularly if The Grateful Bread has already sold out: you'll often find exceptional loaves, pastries and baked treats from several different producers in one place.

Geordie Bakers

Geordie Bakers is a Hexham-based wholesale artisan bakery producing fresh daily bread, buns, cakes, and pies. While primarily a wholesale supplier to cafes and food businesses, their handcrafted products turn up across Hexham's cafe scene. If you've enjoyed particularly good bread at a local cafe, there's a reasonable chance it came from Geordie Bakers.

Why Hexham's Baking Scene Punches Above Its Weight

The revival of artisan baking in Northumberland has found a natural home in Hexham. The town's twice-monthly farmers' market, its independent retail culture, and a local appetite for quality local food have created ideal conditions. If you are visiting for the Abbey or Hadrian's Wall, building a Saturday morning around a visit to The Grateful Bread and the farmers' market is one of the most pleasurable ways to start the day.