Cumbria and Manchester’s Lovingly Artisan Bakery has once again been named among the UK’s top bakeries in The Good Food Guide’s annual Top 50 Bakeries list. First introduced in 2025, the list showcases the very best artisan bakeries in Britain, handpicked by The Good Food Guide’s expert judges from among the country’s finest producers of bread, pastries and baked goods.
Celebrating Britain’s modern baking boom, the judges have travelled hundreds of miles across the UK in search of exceptional craftsmanship, from perfectly laminated pastries and the flakiest croissants to deeply flavoured, slow-fermented loaves, to curate the definitive list of the UK’s Best Bakeries for 2026.
This year’s list features 22 new entries, spanning everything from wood-fired sourdough in Perthshire to precise Japanese-French patisserie in central London. Influences range from West African flavours to Cantonese traditions, alongside a strong focus on heritage grains. The skill on show rivals the very best restaurant kitchens, yet remains accessible and joyfully rooted in everyday food.
The Good Food Guide expertise
For over 70 years, The Good Food Guide has been a trusted authority on where to eat across Great Britain. Entirely independent, it combines reader feedback with anonymous inspections by a long-standing team of experts who travel the country, dining as customers and paying their own way before reporting on their experiences. Each listing is judged on quality, warmth, originality and how strongly it would be recommended to others.
Lovingly Artisan Bakery named one of the best bakeries in the UK
North West England is represented by just six bakeries, with Lovingly Artisan Bakery among this select group. The bakery has also been recognised as a ‘Local Gem’ alongside its inclusion in the guide, with a further four bakeries from the North East and Yorkshire bringing the North’s total representation to ten.
Beloved across Cumbria and Greater Manchester alike, Lovingly Artisan is no stranger to awards. The bakery spends a second year on the list, owing to its stunning pastries and expertly crafted artisan bread, being specialists in sourdough.
Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor, owners of Lovingly Artisan Bakery, said: “Being included in The Good Food Guide’s Top 50 for a second year is a real honour for our whole team. To be recognised alongside so many outstanding bakeries across the UK, and as specialists in sourdough, means a great deal, particularly given the care, time and skill that goes into every loaf we make.
“Like our peers across the country, we’re passionate about putting truly good bread back at the heart of the table, simple, nourishing food made with integrity and meant to be shared.”
Long Boi’s Bakehouse in Levenshulme also recognised
Levenshulme‘s Long Boi’s Bakehouse also appeared in the list, bringing our Manchester claims up to two. Specialising in unique sweet treats from pastries and buns to cakes and unreal vegan bakes, the team is small but mighty, bringing a smile to the faces of the people of Levy.
The Long Boi’s team said on Instagram: “Some lovely news to wake up to this morning – we’ve made it into @goodfoodguideuk’s list of Britain’s Best Bakeries for the second year running.
“As I said last year, this is a proper honour & we’re so proud to be namechecked alongside so many of our peers in the industry who we admire! Big thanks to my amazing team who work really hard everyday to make sure we’re pushing out incredible products daily, simply the best”.
📍 You can find Lovingly Artisan at Altrincham Market, Central Way, Altrincham WA14 1QU & Lakeland Food Park, Unit 7 Crook Rd, Kendal LA8 8QJ | You can find Long Boi’s Bakehouse at 40 Forest Range, Manchester M19 2HP.
