Knead-to-Know: 5 of the best Yorkshire Bakeries You Can Actually Sit In
31 Jul 2025
Yorkshire’s bakery game is on a serious rise. But we’re not talking grab-a-greggs-on-the-go—this is the artisan, sit-down, sip-a-flat-white, Instagram-your-cruffin kind of baking.
The kind where stories matter as much as the sourdough. These 5 best sit in bakeries in Yorkshire are doing more than just slinging buns—they’re building cultures, creating calm spaces, and giving you every excuse to linger. Pull up a chair and prepare to carb load with meaning.
1. The Black Wheat Club – York
York’s not short on history, but The Black Wheat Club brings it bang up to date. This bistro-bakery hybrid on Fossgate is the brainchild of the team behind Krep, and it’s already changing the game. Upstairs, you’ll find a calming, Scandi-inspired space with clay-coloured walls, stripped-back wood, and a daily bread menu that reads like poetry. These aren’t loaves—they’re slow-fermented, stoneground statements. From chewy sourdough made with heritage grain to pillowy focaccia with sea salt and rosemary, it’s a carb-lover’s dream. The food menu rotates with the seasons: shakshuka one day, salt beef toasties the next. By evening, the whole place shifts gears into a wine bar. Yes, they serve natural wine. Of course they do. If you’re into food with purpose and design with taste, this is the spot. It’s intimate, intentional, and ridiculously relaxing. Come for the toast. Stay for the vibes.
2. Nova Bakehouse – Leeds Dock
Nova Bakehouse isn’t just baking bread—it’s rewriting it. Tucked into Leeds Dock, this modern temple of carbs is led by two sisters with a mission: championing local grain, regenerative farming, and wild fermentation. Their flour is milled on-site, their produce is seasonal, and their pastries have developed something of a cult following. Sit down at one of the stylish communal tables and get stuck into a custard bun or their iconic treacle tart made with Yorkshire-grown wheat. It’s not style over substance—it’s substance with a lot of style. Their open-plan bakery means you can actually see the bread being made while you eat it. There’s something quietly radical about it all: a slow food experience in an industrial-chic setting, with seriously good coffee and staff who actually know their crumb from their crust. Nova is for people who want more from a bakery—ethics, flavour, and a bit of fresh air from the usual coffee shop chains.
3. Baltzersen’s Bakehouse – Harrogate
If Ikea did sit in bakeries, it might look a bit like Baltzersen’s—but with better coffee and a lot more soul. Inspired by Scandinavian baking traditions and founded by Paul Baltzersen Rawlinson (who took his grandma’s name and ran with it), this Harrogate icon has just had a glow-up. What was once a café is now a fully-fledged bakehouse-café hybrid, with an in-house bakery feeding both the counter and a loyal community of cinnamon bun obsessives. The aesthetic is warm minimalism—light woods, soft tones, no clutter, and lots of freshly brewed coffee. But it’s the pastries that bring the joy: cardamom knots, jam-filled Berliner-style doughnuts, and legendary cinnamon swirls. You can sit in and order proper Nordic brunch dishes—try the halloumi pyttipanne—or just plonk yourself by the window and people-watch while sipping something strong and Scandi. Calm, comforting and built with love, Baltzersen’s is the kind of place that makes you want to move to Harrogate. Or at least come back next weekend.
4. Forge Bakehouse – Sheffield
Forge isn’t just a bakery—it’s a Sheffield institution. Founded in 2012 on Abbeydale Road, Forge Bakehouse has evolved from a humble sourdough start-up into a full-on bakery-brunch-coffee-haven, with three sites and an ever-growing fanbase. The interior is industrial-chic, the staff are friendly without being overly chirpy, and the food? Utterly irresistible. Their almond croissants are a work of flaky genius, their sourdough is chewy perfection, and their brunch menu regularly inspires full-blown devotion. Sit upstairs and order the baked eggs with chorizo and sourdough soldiers, or go classic with a pastry and locally roasted coffee. Everything is made fresh, with no additives and no shortcuts—just properly good baking and bold, brilliant flavours. You can even take a class and learn the magic yourself. There’s a reason people queue on weekends, and it’s not just for the vibes. Forge has nailed the formula: craft, comfort and carbs. Loads of carbs.
5. Flour & Feast – Hull
Hull’s Flour & Feast is proof that small beginnings can rise—beautifully. What started as a market stall in 2018 is now a much-loved microbakery on Humber Street, run by Roxy and Joe with big dreams and even bigger loaves. This place is the essence of slow-living: no rush, no fuss, just exceptional baking in a calm, airy café. The menu changes depending on what’s baked fresh that morning. Maybe it’s spiced apple Danish, maybe it’s a thick slice of toast slathered in marmite butter, maybe it’s a veggie-packed tart that tastes like a garden party. There’s seating inside for chats and chill time, and the team are just as warm as the sourdough. Pastries are laminated to perfection, the coffee is well-crafted, and you’ll never feel like you’re being hurried out the door. It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down, savour, and maybe buy three more buns than you meant to. And honestly? You should.
Best Sit-In Bakeries in Yorkshire Conclusion: Sit, Snack, Stay Awhile
These aren’t bakeries for grabbing and going. They’re spaces for slowing down, staying in, and enjoying the ritual of good bread, better coffee, and brilliant surroundings. Each one of these sit in bakeries brings its own magic—be it heritage grains, Nordic design, or natural wine with your loaf. This is modern bakery culture, Yorkshire-style. Pull up a chair. We’ll see you in the pastry queue.
Find out more about Yorkshire’s must-try restaurants and Michelin dining in our other helpful guides and news!
Kapital Gains – Sheffield’s New Beer Hall is a Euro Dream Come True
JÖRO Summer Terrace – where miracle behaviour kids meet world class BBQ