Run by couples, families or co-operatives, these carb-lovers are helping create morning routines across Devon. Go early to all of them: the best things sell out by mid-morning, and that is rather the point.
The Ridge, Exeter Quay
If we’re being purists, this isn’t a bakery so much as a waterside coffee shop whose on-site cinnamon buns and outlandish doughnuts have a queue all of their own.
Finn's, Colyton
Part deli, part general store, part micro-bakery beside the River Coly; you pop in for a loaf and leave with cheese, coffee and lunch.
EDITOR’S PICK: I was over the moon that this Dorset institution opened a Devon outpost at the end of my road. A morning dog walk on the beach always ends up here for a cinnamon bun and some sourdough crumpets smuggled home under my arm.
Rise, Exmouth
Sourdough and pastries served practically on the sand at Sideshore, the proper reward at the end of a seafront walk.
The Boatyard Bakery, Exeter Quay
Home to Emma's Bread and billed as Exeter's original sourdough bakehouse, in a Victorian warehouse where you can watch every loaf shaped by hand.
The Exploding Bakery, Exeter
Right by Central station, with traybakes good enough to sell in Fortnum & Mason and coffee that takes itself just seriously enough.
Lilac Bakery, Exeter
A self-taught couple on Cowick Street turning out cruffins, cardamom buns and Basque cheesecake to people who know to arrive before it's gone.
Browns' Kitchen Bakery, Sidmouth
The town's stop for slab cakes, gooey brownies and a warm scone; buy a coffee and they'll slip you a cake sample.
Briar Bakery, Ashburton
The family who took on Ashburton's much-loved Ella now bake organic sourdough and cardamom buns worth the run across Dartmoor.
Heyl Bakery, Plymouth
Plymouth's first entirely plant-based sourdough bakery, award-winning and 100% vegan, with no sense of anything missing.
Big Bakes Bakery, Torquay
Unashamedly a treat shop: towering brownies, cookie pies and traybakes handmade by a Devon couple a decade deep into the habit.
Jacka Bakery, Plymouth
On the Barbican and said to be Britain's oldest commercial bakery, reputedly supplying the Mayflower pilgrims; history aside, the sourdough and pasties still draw a daily queue.
The Bake House, Salcombe
Baking by the sea since 1973 and famous for almond croissants that vanish by mid-morning. A Fore Street institution.
FAQs: Best Bakeries In Devon
What are the best bakeries in Devon?
Devon's best bakeries include The Boatyard Bakery, The Exploding Bakery, Lilac Bakery and The Ridge Coffee Shop in Exeter, Rise in Exmouth, Finn's in Colyton, Browns' Kitchen Bakery in Sidmouth, Briar Bakery in Ashburton, Heyl Bakery and Jacka Bakery in Plymouth, Big Bakes Bakery in Torquay and The Bake House in Salcombe. They range from sourdough bakehouses to patisserie and cake shops.
Which Devon bakery is best for vegan baked goods?
Heyl Bakery in Plymouth is Devon's standout for vegan baking: it is a 100% plant-based sourdough bakery on Batter Street, so every loaf, bun and cookie is vegan. In Exeter, Lilac Bakery also keeps a good range of vegan and gluten-free options alongside its regular pastries. Both are best visited early, as the popular bakes sell out.
Where can I find the best sourdough bread in Devon?
For sourdough, head to The Boatyard Bakery on Exeter Quay, home to Emma's Bread and known as the city's original sourdough bakehouse. Heyl Bakery and Jacka Bakery in Plymouth, Briar Bakery in Ashburton and Rise in Exmouth all bake naturally leavened loaves too. Most bake fresh daily and sell out, so go in the morning for the best choice.
What is a sourdough bakehouse?
A sourdough bakehouse is a bakery that raises its bread with a natural starter — a living mix of flour and water — rather than commercial yeast. The long, slow fermentation gives the bread its tang, open crumb and keeping quality. In Devon, The Boatyard Bakery, Heyl Bakery and Jacka Bakery are all known for this traditional, unhurried approach.
How do I avoid missing out at Devon's best bakeries?
Go early. The best-loved items — Lilac Bakery's cruffins, The Bake House's almond croissants in Salcombe, Jacka's sourdough — routinely sell out by mid-morning. Several bakeries let you pre-order to be sure: Heyl Bakery and Big Bakes Bakery both take online orders for collection or delivery. Weekends are busiest, so arrive shortly after opening for full choice.
Which are the best bakeries in Exeter?
In Exeter, four stand out: The Boatyard Bakery on the Quay for sourdough, The Exploding Bakery by Central station for traybakes and coffee, Lilac Bakery on Cowick Street for pastries, and The Ridge Coffee Shop on the Quay for cinnamon buns and doughnuts. All bake on site, and all sit within easy reach of the city centre or the waterside.
What is the oldest bakery in Devon?
Jacka Bakery on Plymouth's Barbican is said to be the oldest commercial bakery in Britain, with baking on the Southside Street site dating back to the 16th century. It is reputed to have supplied ship's biscuits to the Mayflower pilgrims before they sailed in 1620. The claim is local heritage rather than firmly documented, but the bakery is well worth a visit today.
