Looking where to go for some of the finest pastries and sweet treats?

Two bakeries in the Lake District have been crowned among the best in the world.

The bakeries were featured in La Liste's Pastry Awards 2024 (which included 3,000 pastry shops worldwide).

Although there weren’t any major award winners in the area, the handful of bakeries featured in La Liste’s best-named selection is a pretty big deal, don’t you think?

When it comes to finding the best bakeries and restaurants, La Liste uses “a combination of crowdsourced guides such as Tripadvisor as well as press reviews, international dining guides and the likes of Michelin and Zagat to build its rankings”, reports Time Out.

The two bakeries were: 

The Apple Pie Cafe and Bakery, Ambleside

Grasmere Gingerbread

The Apple Pie Cafe and Bakery, Ambleside

Rydal Road, Ambleside LA22 9AN

Recent reviews: "Me and my partner popped in for a spot of lunch on our way home from the Lake District and it is truly a hidden gem!! Amazing allergen options for her, alongside clearly posted wheelchair-accessible facilities within the cafe. The staff were wonderful- we’ll definitely come again!"

"We stopped here for tea, coffee, and a cream scone. I have to say, it's perhaps the best scone we've ever had!!!!!! So light, 😋 delicious! There's outdoor and indoor seating and it's situated in the centre of the town. Ambleside is well worth a visit, and a stop at this bakery/ cafe after a walk is great."

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Grasmere Gingerbread, Ambleside

Church Cottage, Grasmere, LA22 9SW

Recent reviews: "The queue for this iconic place stretched for several dozen meters, and I think I stood in it for about 20 minutes—maybe less, maybe more—but it was worth it! Around the shop, there were plenty of things and details to occupy my time. There was a lot of history and great trivia. The aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

"Inside the shop, the staff was exceptionally friendly and energetic, dressed in original Victorian-era costumes. I believe, though this is just my assumption, that nothing in this shop has changed over the past 170 years, from the recipe to the décor and the uniforms. It looked amazing!

"And the gingerbread itself? First of all, for such a renowned product, it is quite affordable. It's incredibly tasty, with a sharp note of good ginger balanced by the buttery flavour. The texture is somewhere between bread and cookies—simply delightful, unique, and authentically flavoured! Additionally, everything was carefully packaged, making it almost too beautiful to open.

"I also bought a coffee, which tastes superb, a mint cake, although I haven't had the chance to try the mint cake yet. By the way, the mint cake cost 95 pence.

"I highly recommend this place as a tourist attraction, a historical and cultural must, and a must-visit for food lovers and coffee enthusiasts."

The only winner from La Liste’s Pastry Awards 2024 in the UK was Darcie Maher’s Lannan in Edinburgh.

The bakery was selected as one of the winners in the Pastry Opening of the Year category.