Cumbria & Manchester’s Lovingly Artisan Bakery has been named the UK’s top bakery for the third consecutive year in a row, as part of the 2025 Bakers’ Dozen – which lists the best artisan bakeries in Britain, as voted for by more than 100 specialists from artisan bakers, suppliers, consultants and lecturers were handpicked by British Baker to vote for their favourite artisan bakeries.
The Bakers’ Dozen was revealed on Tuesday 28th January at the third-ever meeting of The Artisan Collective, held at The Compound, in Birmingham, sponsored by Craggs & Co.
The Artisan Collective is an initiative created by British Baker, the leading source of information for the baking industry, to celebrate artisan bakeries and the people behind them while offering a platform to facilitate conversations and share skills.
When it came down to voting time for the Bakers’ Dozen the peer-led voting panel previously broken down into regions to ensure bakeries across Britain had an equal opportunity to shine were asked to cast their deciding votes.
Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor, the owner of Lovingly Artisan Bakery said: ‘’Winning the number one spot again for the third year in a row is totally incredible. We are thrilled to be in the top 13, but to have your peers vote for you and recognise you as the UK’s top specialist sourdough bakery is a little overwhelming. Hopefully, everything we do for our customers has struck a chord and has begun to influence more and more artisan bakers up and down the country to put quality, wholesome, healthy bread at the centre of the dining table where it rightly belongs.
Amy North, British Baker editor added: ‘’It is testament to the endless enthusiasm and contagious passion that emanates from the team at Lovingly Artisan that it has been crowned the best artisan bakery in Britain for the third year running. This truly is an awe-inspiring achievement as it means that they have been recognised by fellow artisan bakers and industry experts as a shining example of this community.”
An artisan bakery is where baked goods – such as sourdough, bread, buns, pastries, cakes and more – are made by skilled bakers by hand, often utilising longer and more traditional processes. Quality of ingredients and the end products are high on the agenda, and as a result, artisan bakeries typically only have a handful of sites.
