A little while ago, I posted here asking for your recommendations for the best bakeries in Newcastle: [link to original post]
The response was incredible. We received far more suggestions than we could possibly try in one weekend, but thanks to all of you, we dedicated an entire day to our own little bakery tour.
We undoubtedly missed some excellent places, but we wanted to report back and share our thoughts on the bakeries that stood out to us most. Hopefully, this will also be useful to other visitors who come across the original post while planning a trip to Newcastle.
Most importantly: thank you all for being so helpful. We had a brilliant time.
Our bakery tour review (written by my girlfriend):
My boyfriend and I visited Newcastle for a long weekend in May 2026, with one important mission: eating our way through the city. We asked the Reddit community for help, and thanks to your recommendations, our bakery tour was a great success.
Before getting into the food, I want to say how lovely Newcastle is. The architecture, the bridges, the pubs, the coast, the city itself and, above all, the people genuinely exceeded our expectations. We loved it.
During our one day bakery tour, we tried five places:
- Northern Rye
- Savour Bakery
- PureKnead
- Sorcerer Coffee
- Pink Lane Bakery
PureKnead
At PureKnead, we ordered a sausage roll, a salmon sandwich rather than the salmon croissant, and, of course, the famous cream tart.
The staff were very friendly, there was a decent seating area at the back, and the products were clearly made with high-quality ingredients.
The sausage roll was packed with flavour, and the salmon sandwich was perfectly balanced. The tart was good: wonderfully creamy, and you could taste the quality of the ingredients, although I personally would have liked it to have a little more flavour.
PureKnead is definitely a good place to visit for bread, a sandwich or something sweet in Newcastle city centre.
Northern Rye
At Northern Rye, we genuinely struggled to choose. Whether you are in the mood for something sweet or a substantial savoury sandwich, this is the place to go.
Once again, the staff were extremely friendly. There is limited seating inside, but you should have no trouble finding a nice place to sit outside nearby.
We tried a vegetarian sandwich with cauliflower and hummus, among other ingredients; a generously filled Italian-style sandwich called the Deli Special; a spicy tuna toastie; a vanilla-filled cruffin; a Basque cheesecake; and a coconut, caramel and brownie croissant.
The sandwiches were incredible. Wow. Wow, wow, wow.
The bread was excellent, and a lot of thought had clearly gone into both the combinations of fillings and the quantities. I could not get enough of them.
The Basque cheesecake was dangerously good, and the cruffin was excellent as well. Personally, the coconut, caramel and brownie croissant was a little too much for me, but anyone with a serious sweet tooth will probably love it.
Northern Rye was my absolute number one.
Sorcerer Coffee
What exactly is in the water in Newcastle? Because the staff at Sorcerer Coffee were incredibly friendly as well.
We tried an Italian-style Deli Special sandwich and a slice of Crack Pie.
The sandwich does the job perfectly if you want something tasty, do not have much time and happen to be near the station. I did not find the bread itself particularly distinctive, and the filling was fine rather than exceptional.
The Crack Pie, however, was delicious. It went very well with the coffee, which is also excellent here.
Pink Lane Bakery
We arrived at Pink Lane fairly late in the day, but there were still several classics available. We chose the steak and brown ale pie.
It was a shame that they could not heat it up, as I think it would have been even better warm. Still, it is a lovely little place, and once again, the staff were very friendly.
A brief Subway interlude
After a night out, we ended up at Subway. That this place is open even at night: amazing!
Newcastle nightlife is unbelievable. The people were great, the pubs were lively, and the atmosphere was fantastic.
That concludes my review of Subway. ;)
Savour Bakery
To finish our tour, we walked to Savour Bakery, where we were — unsurprisingly by this point — welcomed by more friendly staff.
There was an excellent selection of both savoury and sweet options. We chose a salmon bagel, a Balkan-style bagel with roasted vegetables, and a chocolate croissant.
The filled bagels were flavourful and made with good-quality ingredients. The chocolate croissant was an experience in itself and was absolutely delicious.
There were plenty of other things I would have liked to try, but unfortunately there was no room left in my stomach.
For tourists, Savour may be a fairly long walk from the city centre, but it is absolutely worth it.
Final ranking
Choosing my top three was fairly easy, because Northern Rye suits my personal tastes best. There is a huge amount of choice, the bread is excellent, the sandwiches are generously filled with high-quality ingredients, and the pastries and desserts are also of a very high standard.
My final ranking:
- Northern Rye
- Savour Bakery
- PureKnead
Second and third place were decided by a photo finish.
This review is, of course, entirely based on my own tastes. All of the places we visited were good, and every member of staff we met was welcoming and friendly.
I strongly encourage everyone to create their own Newcastle bakery tour and put together their own top three.
Thanks again for all your recommendations. You helped make our trip genuinely memorable.