Cakesmiths in Bristol, City of

Hidden gem, great spot and plenty of parking. Lovely large array of cakes and the coffee was good. Staff were pleasant and was served quickly. Would recommend.

Also called The Bakehouse. Vibrant lunch time scene. Great cakes. Swift service. I don’t know about customer parking but I got a 60 min slot on the street.

I’m not sure this is the correct name for this entry, although it is part of the same business. As I understand it, Cakesmith’s is not open to the public, but a wholesaler of cakes to independent cafes and coffee shops around Bristol. However, the adjacent Bakehouse @ Cakesmith’s is open to the public and serves a very good selection of the ware, along with a few savoury options as well. So it’s a bit like a brewery tap, but with cakes instead of beer. It’s quite basic being a unit on an industrial estate, but is nonetheless pleasant enough with a mixture of inside and outside searing. There was certainly a very tempting array of cakes to choose from, all laid out on a table in front of you, although I would have preferred some screening so people can’t cough and splutter all over them. I opted for a Millionaire’s Shortbread, and this was a decent example with lovely soft, oozy caramel and a decent slab of chocolate. Across the table a Queen Vic (or Victoria Sponge as it’s more commonly known) was also well received, although unusually it had been cut in to an oblong slice rather than the more usual portion of a round cake. Perhaps that accounts for the slightly different name. A latte and a tea to accompany were both also pretty good and as mentioned there are also some savoury options including several specials each day. The only downside was that it was all served in takeaway containers regardless of whether you were eating in or not. Fine if you’re not, bust disposable cups and both cakes simply being put in to a cardboard box that you the had to eat with your hands is not only quite awkward and messy but environmentally unfriendly too, even if the packaging is recyclable. Other than that though, well worth a visit and I will certainly return to try out some more options.