Luxury Bakery Treats & Gift Boxes
At Libby’s Bakery in Notting Hill, the starting price for a pack of four pastries is £12. Szucs says Copains uses only organic, high-quality ingredients, including chestnut and rice flours, and that “everything is handmade and freshly baked in the morning”. He rebuts the suggestion that they price out some customers, pointing to a chocolate brioche at £3.50 and croissants that start at £4.90. But the prices don’t appear to be hampering the success of upmarket bakeries, at least not in Britain. A survey in September found that the number of independent bakeries in the UK had grown by 34% in the past five years, with the Midlands, East Anglia and the north of England growing fastest. Located at 16 rue Royale, Paris, Ladurée is synonymous with elegance.
Led by renowned pastry chef Ricardo Vélez, Moulin Chocolat combines the best of French pastry with a modern twist. Its macarons, Roscón de Reyes, and other desserts have made this boutique a must-visit for sweet lovers in Madrid. Our luxury dessert selection is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, from old-school classics like Bakewell tart to a slice of decadent chocolate brownie loaf. No matter your dessert preferences, we’re positive our puddings will hit the spot. It’s a 40-minute walk between Copains and my final stop – a wise mode of transport considering how much dough, sugar and chocolate I have consumed.
£25 for a cookie? What the baffling luxury bakery boom tells us about Britain
With a minimalist decor that highlights its éclairs, this bakery feels like a showcase of sweet jewels. The lamps and door handles evoke the pastries, creating a dreamy atmosphere where each creation is a work of art. While high-end bakeries are on the up, those on the lower end of the scale are struggling. Percy Ingle, which once reigned supreme across London and Essex with more than 50 shops, shut its doors in 2020.
While many have since faced financial pressures, including “business rates, rising energy and ingredient costs and labour shortages”, sweet treats are usually higher-margin products. They are also a way to “get people in the door”, with enticing pastries used to lure shoppers in the hope that they will also buy other products. In comparison with other bakeries, however, Fika’s pastries are a bargain. In Harrods’ food hall, a stuffed, savoury croissant topped with gold leaf is £12. At Cedric Grolet, located inside the luxury Berkeley hotel, a hazelnut cookie will leave you £25 out of pocket. Since the supermarket is my usual patisserie of choice, I realise my taste buds shouldn’t be the sole barometer of quality.
Valrhona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Pots
But the branch of Percy Ingle bakery that was here for nearly 50 years is gone. In its place sits Fika, a cafe where a cinnamon bun costs £4.20 and a pistachio croissant will set you back nearly £5. Pierre Hermé is one of the most influential pastry chefs in the world. His boutique at 86 Champs is a gourmet space where macarons, desserts, and chocolates blend with wellness. With beauty areas and a focus on quality, this bakery redefines the sweet experience in Paris. wedding cakes My first stop is Yeast in Broadway Market, east London, where pastries included a pistachio crumble and praline creme brioche feuilleté (£7.50) and a poached vanilla rhubarb danish (£7.95).
- With beauty areas and a focus on quality, this bakery redefines the sweet experience in Paris.
- In the luxurious Hotel Café Royal in London, Cakes&Bubbles is the first venture by chef Albert Adrià dedicated solely to pastry.
- Treats that are made with care and simple, plant-based ingredients.
We hope so, although your willpower will be seriously tested by delicious treats below. Scrumptious traybakes, feather-light cakes, old-school puddings – and you must leave room for our refined artisan chocolates. These desserts have become viral fodder on social media, prompting long queues outside bakeries that have seized the algorithm to show off their mouthwatering goods. In London, Peggy Porschen is a paradise for dessert lovers. Its pastel-decorated shops are the ideal place to enjoy cupcakes, layer cakes, and a selection of teas and champagnes. Every corner invites you to immerse yourself in a sweet experience surrounded by beauty and nature.
Emily is also impressed, despite being able to “buy a coffee and a cake for less than the price of a pastry here” in Wales. “I can make a sandwich at home; I can’t make this at home,” says Alice. I opt for a tomato, mozzarella and hot-honey swirl, which costs £7.25, a limited-edition pineapple and coconut danish filled with custard (£7.95) and a chocolate and hazelnut kouign-amann (£3.95). I intend to have only a small bite, with the pastry-laden day ahead in mind, but I eat the entire thing.
