BAKING
Go on, treat yourself
There is little better than stumbling across a traditional family bakery that prides itself on
producing fresh-from-the-oven bread, handmade cakes and delicious savouries – and luckily
for us, Kent has them in abundance. From small artisan bakeries to boutique cafés, they are
on the rise (pun intended) and insideKENT has tracked down a handful of the best.
La Roche, Tunbridge Wells
Having built up a regular, dedicated clientele,
Kent-based La Roche Patisserie and Boulangerie
is a local treasure in the spa town of Royal
Tunbridge Wells. Housed in fantastic new
premises, this boutique bakery is the brainchild
of husband-and-wife team, Chris and Harpal
Pollard, and boasts a shop on the ground floor,
a bakery in the basement, and a patisserie
laboratory on the second floor. With years of
experience between them, this duo excels in their
craft, each having won a number of prestigious
awards in recognition of their work – Chris even
took home the influential Baker of the Year Award
from the British Baking Industry in 2002. The
patisserie's motto – ‘with a conscience' – is
paramount to this couple's desire to maintain
the highest standards possible.
www.larochetw.co.uk
Enzo's Bakery, Canterbury
Located at Canterbury's renowned daily farmers'
market, The Goods Shed, Enzo's Bakery offers
a large selection of typically Italian and English
products (the manager, Enzo, is Italian), as well
as savoury pies, arancini, rolle, and much more.
A member of Produced in Kent, Enzo, his partner
Rachele, and his dedicated culinary team, are
keen to promote the very best Kent has to offer.
In fact, 80% of the ingredients used by Enzo's
Bakery are bought within The Goods Shed – but
as well as using local producers, Enzo uses
ingredients of Italian provenance too. Having
started his career in the food sector over 15 years
ago, and since having worked in a number of
prestigious locations, Enzo has now excelled in
his bid to put his stamp not only on the Canterbury
folk, but on Kent too.
www.enzosbakery.co.uk
Chaney & Son Bakers Ltd, Cranbrook
Whether you are looking to call in for a quick
snack or fancy a sit down in the wonderful café,
Chaney & Son Bakers Ltd has been serving up
freshly baked breads and delicious cakes and
pastries on Cranbrook High Street for 50 years
now. Established in 1964, this family-run business
makes all of their goods on the premises, using
only the highest quality ingredients. As well as
attracting wholesale clients, preparing the
products onsite daily means sandwiches and
celebratory custom cakes can be made to order,
in the way only a small traditional bakery can.
www.chaneyandsonbakery.co.uk
Crusties Bakeries, Thanet
A traditional family bakery, owners of Crusties,
Michael and Sheila, together with their two sons,
daughter and some long-serving loyal employees,
have been baking for the Thanet district for over
25 years and counting. The bakery's retail shops,
which can be found in High Street Broadstairs
62
and Harbour Street Ramsgate, sell a wide variety
of freshly baked breads, cakes and pastries –
while their main bakery on Pysons Road Industrial
Estate in Broadstairs acts as a fast food outlet.
In addition to serving up yummy baked goods
to the people of Thanet, the business also offers
bespoke celebratory cakes and wholesale delivery
to schools, colleges, pubs, retail shops,
restaurants, cafés and more.
www.crustiesbakery.com
Sponge Kitchens, Bromley Borough
Family-run bakery, Sponge Kitchens, has come
a long way since its establishment back in 1938.
Today, the popular outlet lends its name to three
retail outlets and two craft bakeries within the
Bromley boroughs of Beckenham, Hayes and
Downham. In all three shops, visitors can choose
between a takeaway or seated café services.
When it comes to their impressive produce, the
bakeries follow a wide range of artisan recipes
and traditional p roduction methods in order to
bake their bread daily on the premises, as well
as a whole hoard of other confectionary delights
– including seasonal specials. In addition, Sponge
Fingers also boasts in-house cake decorators,
of whom specialise in the beautification of their
custom-made celebratory or corporate cakes.
www.spongekitchens.co.uk