After years of wondering what causes the traffic problems in Oulton I have finally found out…read more The Cottage Bakery is situated, strangely enough, in a cottage just off a major roundabout and the only customer parking is on the road side. Which is a problem when you constantly have queues. I parked someway up the road and round the corner and called in for a beef salad sandwich. No sign what so ever of any wussy thin sliced processed beef, this was a seriously beefed up sandwich. A lovely soft breadcake filled to the brim (and beyond) with massive chunks of off the joint beef and lots of crisp, tasty salad (I should be writing this to the strains of falling in love again). I was tempted by the hot sandwiches and pasties and the other savouries looked divine but will have to wait for next time. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate were available and reasonably priced.

Now, I don't often get out to Chapel A, but on the odd occasion I do a visit to this little treat…read morestop is an absolute must. Granted, there are not many tables so it can be hard to grab a seat, but I'd suggest it's worth the wait given what's in store. A few Saturdays ago, treats we're on the agenda. As I'd not been here in ages, we decided to seek out some delectable sustenance here, as that is precisely what I got my friends. I had heard tell these guys do a mean burger, and since I've been banging on about seeking out Leeds' best it seemed only fair to tackle that for lunch. Oh. My. Word. After an enticing wait the food arrived and what lay before me was some kind of demi-god, as far as patties go. A beautifully baked sesame seed bun, with all the fluffy, crispy, freshness you could hope for in a bread cake. The accoutrements included a wonderfully fresh bit of salad, perfectly melted cheddar, and a delightful home made piccalilli. The meat? Seasoned to perfection, juicier than I've known, and cooked like a dream. Slightly pink, like a real burger should be, and a right ruddy messy affair. I was in heaven. Of course, you know all about their award winning cupcakes by now, so I needn't wax lyrical about the white chocolate as raspberry nirvana that I polished off at home, but what you probably didn't know is that I've found a contender for one of Leeds' finest burgers. Try for yourself and let me know how you get on... Moar treats? Check in on Yelp and you get 25% off afternoon tea!

The Sunshine Bakery is a delightful and delicious new addition to Chapel Allerton's row of pretty…read morelittle shops on Harrogate Road. I just love the name - so twee and smile-inducing! As soon as I heard about it I just knew I had to check it out ASAP! I have both the requisite sweet tooth and and a love of all things kitsch and vintage-inspired. Hence I LOVE The Sunshine Bakery! The outside of the shop is painted a sumptuous deep plum colour and the sign features gold, hand-painted lettering with a quaint feel. Inside the walls are covered in oh-so-vintage pink flocked wall paper...but to be honest that's not exactly what your eyes are drawn to with all the tasty treats on display! Anyone with a particular predilection for sweetmeats will be literally drooling all over the shop! The cupcakes cry 'EAT ME' with their generous helpings of many-coloured icing and array of flavours. There are also such delights as champagne truffles, as well as slightly less exciting (though very delicious I'm sure) savoury items including sandwiches and soups as well as tea and coffee. There is a lovely atmosphere at The Sunshine Bakery, with friendly, smiling staff, and the customers seeming very happy to be there and oh so close to their next cupcake fix! I also opted for Eton Mess...it was absolutely delicious! If you live in Chapel Allerton you may find yourself trying desperately to avoid the temptation to visit the Sunshine Bakery daily...luckily for my health I live a reasonably long bike ride away...however, the exercise required to get there will probably just allow me to justify a rampant gorge-fest upon arrival! YUM!

Despite this bakery looking promising for coffee as I spied something silver and shiny in the back…read moreit was just freeze dried. On the other hand it was served by a girl with a beaming smile and lovely manner, pluses and minuses to everything. This lovely bakery now has to compete with Greggs positioned further down the high street but for me how can there be a contest between baked on-site and MADE on-site. Here there are freshly made breads, scones, balm cakes, tea cakes, meat pies, massive cheese cakes and quiches, crème horns, and then a selection of hot snacks and sandwich fillings which were finished by the time I got there. A nice little selection of tables and a shop window with stained glass at the top, quaint and cheery something that reminded me of home.

Firth & Payne's market stall has a beautifully traditional design with ornate columns and a wooden…read morecounter and signage with gold painted lettering. It's stalls like this that make a wander through the market such an enjoyable experience as you get a real sense of the history and character of the place. The stall has a traditional bakery counter displaying bread rolls and tasty looking cakes - I'd definitely spend my pennies here rather than at the Greggs in the lower section of the market (rather cheeky I feel - opening a chain store, of which there are already more than ten in Leeds, in a market populated by independent retailers, many just getting by. And I'm sad to see market customers queuing in droves to get their Greggs pastry fix when they could support an independent bakery selling very affordable sandwiches and other baked goods a short walk away. Bracketed rant over. ) They also have a range of pre-packaged brand name bread - a little odd when they bake their own. Their cake making display is a real treat to browse, with many a creatively-iced cake that any kid would be overjoyed to see candle-lit on their birthday. They also make wedding cakes with three working days notice. Great for a spontaneous wedding party, couples who haven't been particularly organised or when previous wedding-cake plans fall through. As Amelia mentioned, they offer egg-free cakes, but do they do vegan? As they have considered those who don't eat egg I think it likely they could stretch to include vegans...so it'd be worth asking if you're looking for a vegan cake-making service.

The display of cakes at this bakery is amazing! You can get a spiderman birthday cake, a new-baby…read morecake with a tiny decorative baby on the top, wedding cakes and a myriad of others that can be chosen from a special cake book on request. All cakes have to be ordered but can be made within three working days - pretty good if you consider the quality of decoration. There's a sign saying that all cakes can be made eggless if required but does this mean they can also be made vegan? I'm not sure. The plastic-covered Warbotun loaves seem strangely placed next to these and the floury baps and loaves also on offer but I guess that's what you find in a market like this - peculiar variety.

Visited Leeds for the first time and my girlfriend was excited to take me to the sandwich place she…read moreloved and frequented as a student. To anyone passing by you would not necessarily know, especially as it was not crazy busy when we went, but she assured me many days there would be a line out the door as the establishment is so popular with locals. It is small but filled with a wide variety of sandwiches and baked goods- I opted for a focaccia sandwich with prosciutto, basil, tomato, mozzarella, pesto and had it toasted at my girlfriend's insistence! All the bread is baked fresh daily. I'd highly recommend this place, quick and affordable lunch- make sure you take my girlfriend's advice and get your sandwich toasted!

One of the more upmarket eateries by the university, Bakery 164 is a gourmet sandwich joint popular…read morewith the people who work in the area and students with too much cash. They do gloriously tasty sandwiches on fresh soft bread - try the meatball - as well as other lunchtime snacks and deserts of a similarly high standard. But, be warned, you have to pay for quality in this place. I used to go once a week while at college nearby as a rare treat, and spend the other four days at the cheaper, less fancy Highway. P.S. Lovely coffee!

This is the sort of place that makes me fall in love with Leeds all over again, the little…read moreindependent places which do things in a time honoured way. This place is a little family run bakery, which is obviously very popular, and is just a little way off the centre (as it were) of Pudsey. It's not difficult to see why they are so coveted, as soon as you go in you are greeted by a super friendly team (I assumed a husband and wife team, but can't be 100% sure) ready to help you. I went in to browse and found myself instantly attracted to their lovely looking home-made preserves sets. The gentleman asked me if I was ok, which I was, and then apologised for having to turn on his mixer for a moment! It was lovely, and really wasn't a problem. As I had wandered in around 3pm ish the shelves were looking rather bare - the sign of a great bakers - and so I wandered to the glass counter at the front. I didn't want to walk out without something tasty. In the end I settled for a beautiful heart shaped chocolate brownie, complete with raspberry in the centre, for my boyfriend. It was going to be Valentine's day after all! I'm told that it was delicious, so I'm glad I made that choice. I bought a set of six mini breakfast jams as well, for a friend, and they were totally bargainous. I won't say exactly how bargainous, lest she discover how much I spent, though with any luck it'll be the gesture that counts! All in all this is a delightful place to purchase breads, jams, cakes and any other home made goodies. Just get in early to avoid disappointment!

this is lovley little bakery, owned by a young woman called amy and her family helps run this. I…read morehave had had lots of tasty goodies from there as well as my daughters christining cakes and a few more now my sister has ordered her wedding cake. The cakes are beautiful and very tasty when you cut into them, wich is hard to find.. very good quality and lots to choose from. the Farm animal buisguits are a big hit with my daughter!

Beats Greggs hands down…read more Good bakery, recommended.

Excellent shop. great selection, always freshly made that day! Staff always friendly and efficient!…read moreFar better than other shops on Main Street

It's a slightly strange location for a confectionary-cum-bakery admittedly, but Moores, in the…read moreheart of the Horsforth suburbs, is rather special. I came across Moores recently after a hectic day in Horsforth, and decided that (judging a book by its cover as I usually do) it would be the perfect place to get a sugar hit on the way home. I wasn't wrong - inside Moores is as quaint and, for want of a better word, sweet, as it appears from the outside. People should be warned that this is not your Greggs-style bakery, but an independent establishment where really care is taken in creating and baking the pastries. The delicacies are so indulgent and perfectly sugared that you'll probably find yourself going back to Moores for more. Luckily, I followed my fruit pastry up with some boiled sweets, meaning that, for the time being at least, I'm sweet enough.

This is one of those magical olde style shops which you simply can't ignore. I was wandering…read morethrough Chapel Allerton and happened to be on the same side of the road as Simply Cakes. The first thing to catch my eye was the fairytale castle cake, which I thought was too curious not to pause for a moment. That's all it takes to get you hooked! Then I was glancing all around at these beautiful magical cakes, each so intrinsically and deftly decorated. Wedding cakes, christmas character cakes, animals, flowers. You name it and it was possible. I went in simply to compliment the cake maker, who was lovely incidentally, and found that she had more than just the finished product on offer. There was everything there possible for you to craft one of your very own. Something like the cake world of Willy Wonka - it was on that level of fun in there. Having over 30 years of experience, Simply Cakes must be one of the best hand made cake specialists in Leeds. Go and see!

I defy anyone to walk past the window of Simply Cakes without stopping, faces pressed up against…read morethe window and eyes wide like kids in, well, a sweet shop. There are cakes and then there are cakes, and Simply's creations are definitely in the latter category: beautiful pastel coloured mountains dripping with thick, creamy icy and formed into wonderfully quirky shapes. There are oversized cupcakes with icing that looks like whipped cream, perfectly executed, snow white wedding cakes, children's cakes carefully shaped and decorated to represent characters from stories and nursery rhymes... the list goes on, but sadly my wallet doesn't. These cakes come at a price, though not an unreasonable one for the skill that goes into them, and unfortunately my only taste of them to date is a small sliver of a friend's birthday cake. Absolutely lovely it was, too.

Beautiful bakery…read more French baking at it's finest. 100% recommended. The M&S of baking. Superb.