Beer crawls are out and bakery crawls are in, with people arranging whole days, weekends or even holidays around the search for the perfect loaf or croissant. Known as 'bakery pilgrims', enthusiasts are travelling significant distances to sample fine baked goods, from a soft brioche bun in Mallaig to honey buns in Dolgellau.
Dan Warren and his wife Dee Johnson trekked 225 miles across Scotland last August, enduring sore feet and midges, to reach the Bakehouse in Mallaig. Their reward was a brioche bun filled with crème pâtissière, crumble and berries. Similarly, a couple from Oxfordshire travelled nearly four hours to Popty'r Dref bakery in Dolgellau, Wales, for its honey buns.
Professional cyclist Maddy Nutt often plans long-distance routes around bakeries. She recently rode five hours from London to Ramsgate's Staple Stores, arriving three minutes before closing after a puncture. Long-distance bakery-seekers don't mind queues, often swapping recommendations with fellow pilgrims.
While chains like Greggs and Gail's are widespread, it is the rarer treats from small, owner-run bakeries that attract tourists. These often feature upmarket twists, such as a kimchi and egg danish at Long Boi's Bakehouse in Manchester or a miso bacon escargot from London's Arôme. The trend has a name in Korea: 'bbangjisullae', meaning 'bread pilgrimage'.
At Bath's Landrace bakery, manager Charlotte Briggs notes that pilgrims queue alongside locals for the £4 cinnamon buns. Among them were Tomos Owens and Hetty Niblett, who cycled nearly two hours, and mother-daughter duo Chie and Karin Takita from Japan, who included Landrace in their UK itinerary after spotting its creations on Instagram.
