The Garrison Bakery in Southend-on-Sea

I stopped off at the Eastern Esplanade branch on Saturday to get some cakes. Not to sit in, have table service or anything like that. 3 cakes in a brown paper bag to take away . One Bakewell slice,one Viennese whirl and one London cheesecake (these are the pastry ones with stringy coconut on the top). The Bakewell slice was a fair size but the Viennese whirl and the cheesecake were very small indeed. When the young lad told me the price I'd tapped the card machine before it registered that I was actually paying £9.65 for 3 cakes. I questioned this with a lady who was also serving and despite me telling her that the sign for Viennese whirls and fingers clearly showed 2.25/2 .75 respectively she kept saying it was right and continued to charge me £3.45 for the Viennese whirl. Had I not tapped I'd definitely have said don't bother and with hindsight I should have asked for my money back and left the cakes. Ridiculous prices for very average cakes. We've used this branch quite often but their prices have rocketed. Definitely won't be returning!

The Garrison Bakery has several branches, and I am surprised by the variation between them. Chalkwell Park: stale baked goods, I am thankful that my dentist can be found further along London Road. Not an experience to be repeated! Esplanade: consistently good experience, the food is Delicious-with-a-capital-D and there is a wide choice of goodies to pick from. The bread is handmade and is much better than supermarket bakery offerings. Sits next to the doggy cafe and I know which I prefer! I've not tried the Sutton Road / Shoeburyness branches, but hear that they are up to scratch. Its just the branch across from Chalkwell Park (previously a different cafe) that is letting the business down.

Cakes stale and rock hard, did they think we were day trippers, we needed cakes for a birthday coffee and cake at home. Came to £25 waste of money they went in the bin.

We were really excited about visiting this place as there are no decent bakeries in Westcliff. It was a Saturday afternoon with a few people having coffee in the seating area but nobody queuing. We had a look and decided what we wanted (2 pasties and 2 cakes) and approached the counter, behind which there were 4 staff all either staring at their phones or staring blankly into space. After several awkward moments of being completely ignored my companion said loudly "Excuse me, is anyone serving customers?". To which we recieved several filthy looks. One lady eventually stepped forward reluctantly and with an eye roll said flatly "What would you like?". No niceties whasoever. We bought our items (for what we thought was a fairly hefty £13) and left feeling like we had been a major inconvenience. Staff were rude, ignorant and hostile, food was okay but pricey, and the pasties were stone cold. Not impressed.

Garrison Bakery London Road ,Westcliff. We really want to support our new bakery/cafe visited today we had 2 teas and a hot chocolate (no cream)just marshmallows £12 .We could not see any prices or menu only price I saw was on a loaf .There was a board of hot drinks but no prices and couldn’t see any prices for sandwiches etc.We will try to support but maybe look into this .

I bought vegan sausage rolls from here and found full on mould on the inside. On complaining we learned food is being kept overnight, not thrown away! This was definitely older than a few days - look at the picture and decide for yourself. When we complained, only the ‘older’ ones in the cabinet were thrown away, not the ‘fresh’ ones that were stored next to them. I’ll never return again - the hygiene of this bakery is, I’m sorry to say, utterly disgusting.

Bought myself a sausage in a crusty roll for my lunch and a cherry ripe slice, the cake was lovely but the sausage roll not so good, the sausages were at least a week old, dried out inside even crunchy in places and almost impossible to chew. The roll itself was ok but most of it crumbled away and fell apart as I was eating it..... never again

First time in Shoebury, lovely place. Happened across this bakery and everything looked fantastic. I chose the bread pudding and it was brilliant. The coffee was also very good. I’ll come again.

Was walking past here and thought cakes looked quite tasty. My daughter had an Eccles cake and I purchased 2 pieces of bread pudding. My daughter stepped outside whilst I was waiting and started to eat her cake which was a very generous size, however the bottom pastry was so thick it was hard to bite and was very underbaked , the filling tasted quite pleasant but was totally out of proportion to the amount of pastry. The 2 pieces of bread pudding went straight in the bin after one mouthful as was inedible. All the cakes are very large, and would maybe benefit from being smaller in size and bigger on quality and flavour.

A wonderful bakery with huge cakes and even bigger sandwiches. The staff are really helpful and friendly. Definitely the best bakery in Southend by far, the bread is so fresh and tasty and the crusty rolls are amazing

I used to love this little bakery. The soft rolls are delicious. The past few times I've been the staff have been so rude that I've walked out again. Last week I went in to buy some cakes, there were 3 members of staff, they all looked at me but not one said hello. I waited nearly 5 mi utes then walked out (I was the only customer in the shop). Then my last visit the girl looked at me like dirt and when I asked a simple question about which were cakes and which were brownies she was so rude I walked out again. Will not visit ever again

After paying £2.70 for a single piece of Victoria sponge, I then got home and found out that it was rock hard. God knows how many days it had been left out on display? That was the second occassion where i had paid for cakes that felt on the hard side. I will no longer visit this bakery again. There is absolutely no excuse for serving cakes at top price that have clearly been left out for days and are uneatable.

My friend and I ordered two cappuccino coffees in the Garrison Bakery earlier this week. What we got was certainly not a cappuccino coffee. As it was take away only, we waited until we got back to Eastern Beach to open the lids - we were shocked to find an insipid, pale cream coloured liquid. No froth in sight ( usually we would expect to see froth on a cappuccino). I doubt there was even any coffee in the mixture because we certainly couldn't taste it! I would not recommend buying coffee from this establishment.

We came across your bakery on Eastern Esplanade (Southend-on-Sea) and thought it was great! There was loads of choice and the food was lovely. There were a few seats outside, but we sat inside and it was very clean. Enjoyed a sausage bap and hot chocolate (great to see you have alternative milks too!).

Just traveling around on the C2C line & got to shoeburyness feeling hungry, went looking for a coffee shop & stumbled across The Garrison Bakery. I had a home made Ham, Lettuce & Cucumber Sandwich on wholemeal bread, the sandwich was more like a Door Stop (not a bad thing) & more ham, lettuce & cucumber than could shake a stick at, it was delicious & very fresh. Also i had a slice, a huge one at that, of Apple & raisin struddle, wow that was meal in itself, but again very delicious, all washed down with a very nice Latte. The staff were helpful & friendly & the whole place just ooozed Character And full od lovely looking cakes & Bread. A proper old school Bakery.

Just popped in for a snack. We were amazed by the variety of sandwich's, cakes etc Will go back again, We have already recommended this bakery to many people . All the best Roy

Very unfortunate experience! At 14h40 we were at this shop wanting to buy some (very nice looking) cakes and drinks, the cakes were removed from the window as we were waiting to be served, the staff could not remember what cakes (there were only two) had been in the window without checking…so while they were checking we were looking in the fridge and deciding, but my husband was asked NOT to touch the counter or the fridge window as the staff member had just cleaned it! We left with just our drinks after this, one was a hot chocolate that was “weak” we discovered it was just not stirred properly, it was very watery, and all the powder was sludge at the bottom when we didn’t drink it but poured it out! We paid the ridiculous price of £6.25 for one Fanta and an undrinkable hot chocolate! Amazing that a small business like this would treat customers in this manner, they clearly are not suffering due to COVID and keen for customers! They should close at 14h30 so their staff have time to clear down and pack up without having the inconvenience of customers!

A little pricey for drinks but the cakes were very high quality and worth every penny, traditional iced fingers for grand children and banoffee for me.

Try to support independent local firms and as close by hoped to get a great locally baked loaf for lunch. However after eventually getting in, as service for the only 2 in front was really slow whilst they waited for take aways, there was quite understandably limited bread options as it was around midday. The only 'non tin' loaf was a sourdough one which looked fine so I opted for that. I was 'privately' floored when on paying what I thought was a lot of dough at £3.95.... turning out to be one of the most expensive loaves outside of an artisan bakers in trendy central London !! Had it been beautiful and a delight to eat I would have chalked it up as good but a bit dear experience in not asking the price first. It was not, being less than crusty and inside the air holes were more howitzer than 9mm. Maybe it was just an off target day ??

Best bread for miles always friendly and good value, also a good selection of cakes pastries and pies

Superb value for money. Cleaned tanks for me, thoroughly. Delicious coffee, with very efficient service. Thanks!

From the Sutton Road store, I bought two synthetic cream doughnuts, and a slice each of bakewell tart and jam coconut sponge. Wonderful! The doughnuts had a lovely light texture and the cream was of a perfect consistency....and plenty of it.The bakewell's sponge was perfect and moist, with a great-tasting iced topping.The jam coconut sponge took me straight back to school dinners where I always had a second helping of this pudding.I especially liked the last two as they seem to be cut from a large baking tray, instead of looking too over-manufactured like the cakes from a large store.I will be returning, and next time I'll try some bread.

I do love this bakery but don’t understand its £5.00 minimum card sale at this time of pandemic. The government are actively promoting the use of tapping to pay yet here you have to spend way more than you would if you don’t have cash. Makes no sense.If they are worried about their transaction charge then perhaps a review of the business model is required to take this in to account....just saying.However, in closing, this place rocks and I love the products

Great little Bakery in Shoebury always busy Great cakes with lots to pick from and great rolls Always helpfull staff

We like to buy a loaf or two a week from here. The loaves are exceptional. I stupidly bought some ‘fresh’ bread from a nearby large supermarket. There’s no comparison. The Garrison is miles better. I wish they’d try a few new things in terms of their cakes. That said the iced bun is a classic. Please do some pink ones again!

I recently went to this bakery for a loaf of bread and ended up buying much more unnecessarily because the minimum you can pay with card is £5.00. It took some time to get over £5.00 and the woman who works there said to me “why didn’t you get some cash out” and my reply to this was “ because the cash me achine charges money to get out money , she said “well so does this” in a not so nice way In conclusion I would avoid this shop unless urgent

Dont bother going anywhere else, this is the place for anything you need in the world of bakery food.There is hot take away food, freshly made rolls and sandwiches and great cakes and cream cakes, bread and pastry on offer.The staff are friendly, happy and very hygienic and they all are a joy to be served by. And Debbie has the biggest bloomers in Shoebury.A fantastic bakery that makes it all fresh on the premises, every day

Everything baked on the premises, all fresh, all tasty.Take away food available, filled rolls and sarnies, hot Pasties, Pies and Sausage rolls and many more fillings.Nice shop staff and lady owner is a very nice lady.Best Bakers in Southend in my opinion but get there early because it sells out by 2pm.

Have stopped here several times to buy a sandwich and a cup of tea for a takeaway lunch ,every time I have been here the food has been great they make the sandwiches to order with good selection of fillings

This bakery is in the heart of shoeburyness, just a few yards from the train station, you can be sure of lovely bread/rolls... lovely hot or cold drinks, excellent selection of cakes etc

Only the French cook real bread. Here is a bakery that cook real bread and he is a french baker. The produce is amazing and delicious

Great bakery great selection off bread rolls and fancy cakes ... always fresh always good service 👍🏽

As this is now the only maker's in Shoebury it is a shame that their cakes are so awful. As other people have commented it is nothing like when it was Dennis the baker. Always used to get my children's birthday cakes there and never disappointed. Had a very poor quality cake from the Garrison the other week but thought I would give it another try which was a bad idea. I had an eccles cake today and I can honestly say it was the hardest,detest pastry i have ever attempted to eat . Won't be making that mistake again!

Just finished the most amazing birthday cake. Everything was perfect. Only problem is I had to share it 😊

I have been using this bakery for some years now and have nothing but praise for them. Their customer service is excellent and they actually put themselves out to fulfil the customer's needs.

Good selection of cakes and bread - pretty sure some of the cakes are bought in though. They need to do proper baguettes/french stick that would be a huge plus. Prices are pretty decent. Staff are friendly.

They do delicious breads and rolls here. Some of the best I've ever tasted. You are literally around the corner from East beach so a good place for impromptu picnics.

I have just moved into the area and found your lovely bakery! Takes me back to when I was a child. I had a bloomer loaf it was beautiful. The cake selection is massive, the brownies are amazing. Staff are very friendly and very helpful! Will be back soon!

The sub rolls in here are great and massive, there is an excellent choice of fillings and everything is well priced. The best thing is that all the rolls sandwiches etc are freshly made. The cakes are very nice too and the staff are always friendly. There is often a queue out the door on a Saturday.

I frequently use this establishment and always find the young lady very helpful. All sandwiches etc are freshly made to order and the selection adequate. Most of my visits there involve a selection from the bread , rolls and cakes. Waiting a short time for bespoke items should be expected and I find other people's rudeness unhelpful. If u require grab and go food may I suggest you visit Gregg's.

Had to wait 5 minutes for service as the lady was in the back ? And noticed the floor was very dirty and unfinished and when lady finally emerged from the back room she was very short in manner and unhelpful ? I will not be revisiting establishment as was not happy with the dried out foods served or service ! What a crap hole

When I reviewed in Dec 2016 I stated that the new approach did not live up to the standards of the previous long standing shop. Since then the quality has not improved and in fact we went yesterday and ordered two crusty roles, one cheese and cucumber the other chicken and bacon mayo mix. BOTH very poor, the roles werr crusty, also so hard that they appeared either out of date and dry or overcooked to the extent there was just solid bread, awful and hard to eat. Couple that with the lack of fillings, a bare scrapping of chicken mayo mix and only one thin slice of cheese with two circles of cucumber that didn't cover the surface of the roll. I also think the sausage roll theory of the other reviewer may have some grounds. We won't be hurrying back and have used this establishment under it's former business for many years. It's a shame. On the plus side Tea By The Sea a few doors along do a limited choice but much fresher sandwich and roll offering, with a healthy input of salad.

This bakers lied to the council on inspection by saying the sausage rolls go straight into the hot box from the oven. That is not the case, they heat up from refrigerator and serve them when they are only Luke warm. This is a prime case for food poisoning. Food has to be above a certain temperature before serving. This bakers doesn't know food hygiene!! When I confronted them about it i got sarcasm!! Won't be using these again!!

I have been coming to this bakery for 40 years and I have to say it was a good bakery now it is definitely the best bakery in Southend. Their selection, service and price knocks spots off the rest. Have now started to do a line of what they call 'artisan breads' don't know what they are so can't advise but their typical English bread, rolls and cakes are second to none.

Ideally located for Shoeburyness Station or the Garrison or East Beach and offering a good selection of normal bakery offerings, made to order sandwiches and rolls and occasionally the biggest bread pudding you are likely to get. It's nice but not as it was when it was Dennis The Baker (RIP Mr Dennis). And the prices went up when it changed hands. Not a reason to stay away but if you haven't been for a while be prepared for it to be different.