The Handmade Bakery in Kirklees

Nicely situated place for breakfast (or just tea and cake). Bacon sandwich not cheap but a good size so overall value is fine. Breakfast tea excellent, coming in a teapot holding a good couple of cups. Service very good with polite and friendly staff.

It was my first visit, but it won't be my last. Food great. coffee great. service great. What's not to like

Lovely place to sit and watch the world go by

Great place to watch the world walk past

Such a lovely cafe/bakery - my friend and I met the first weekend in October after a canal walk - we had the homemade French onion soup, with handmade bread, real butter and a flat white - absolute perfection!!!! Lovely vibe - friendly knowledgeable staff

Beautiful tasty food and reasonably priced, highly recommend for a lunch stop!

The mushrooms on toast used to be delicious but they must have changed the receipe, it has hardly any sauce now however the bacon sandwiches are still fab. The bread is gorgeous

Best croissants outside of France!

I’m quite surprised by the number of negative reviews for this place. My son, who lives in Marsden, regularly eats here and has raved about it for ages. Rightly so too. It was very busy when we called in but managed to get seated quickly. The staff were extremely friendly and were happy to chat despite being busy. We ordered the fabulous Darkwoods coffee and two mushrooms on toast. It was exquisite. So tasty. I went to the counter and couldn’t help buying bread, frittata, sausage roll and ginger cake for later and they were first rate too. I wouldn’t hesitate to return or recommend. Fantastic.

Lovely, friendly staff, and excellent choice of food. Quality was excellent and to a high standard (not fast food!). Can either eat inside, or as was the case today, with warm weather, outside overlooking the canal boats.

Everything I've had from here has been hugely delicious, my only gripe is that they don't open earlier so I could go every morning before work!

Lovely coffee and bacon sandwich The granola is amazing.

I just had a coffee and a sweet sourdough pastry and both were excellent. It's a pleasant and airy space with helpful and efficient staff and you can watch the bread being made.

Best bread I’ve eaten anywhere, quality and variety. Someone there has a gift, maybe it’s more than one!

We went at a very quiet time of day, mid week and just wanted a coffee and to sit outside. The counter staff and the serving staff were both abrupt and rude to us. The whole experience was poor. The coffee is overrated and the food is overpriced.

Good selection of savoury and sweet foods. Really decent coffee from Darkwood roastery. Some seating outside with majority inside.

Popped in yesterday for some bread and a bite to eat. the mushrooms on toast were amazing.

Very unique bakery that has baby facilities and is next to lovely canal.

Well chilled out place, great food and coffee

Lovely place near the canal, got some coffee and fresh bread, really good. Will go back to try a meal 😃

Il locale direi che non c'è nel senso che sono stati messi dei tavoli dentro una panetteria che da un certo punto di vista può essere particolare ma non bello I loro prodotti, anche se limitati, sono buoni I prezzi secondo me visto il servizio la location e i piatti sono troppo cari

Good lunch. Service a little slow. Only a minor complaint

We ordered 2 takeaway Courgette and Cheddar soups. We were shocked by the £13.90 price tag for these, they were on the special board but the price wasn’t….I can see why! We hoped when they arrived it would be worth the price, unfortunately we never got to find out. We were directed to wait outside…and wait we did. After 15 minutes of waiting we went inside to enquire when we would expect our order, we were told by a disinterested waitress it was on its way. Another 10 minutes later no soup..:25 minutes in total for 2 takeaway soups. I went inside to enquire again and was told that the soup was currently 40 degrees and they had to wait for them to cool down to 19 degrees. I was told it would be another 5 minutes. No apology. I advised I could not wait and asked for a refund, which I was given. 30 minutes wait for 2 takeaway soups!! I definitely won’t be doing back to this place with the expensive prices, slow service and disinterested staff.

Love this place but Drinks service slow Almond croissant flkey and buttery but no almond paste

Prices are creeping up quite rapidly while service isn't what it used to be and coffees tend to be inconsistent these days

The food is delicious, the service is slow and the prices are high.

Went in whilst a friendly lady held my dog I just wanted a cold drink as it was very hot but there were no low or zero calorie cold drinks just a selection of 6 but they were calorific Friendly lady brought it out to me but all I really wanted was a soda water or fizzy water or any long cold drink. Not was pleasant a visit as i thought it would be

Lovely place, definitely recommend

I grabbed a quick takeaway bacon roll and wow, what a bacon roll that was. Made on bread they had just baked, perfectly cooked and plentiful amount of lovely bacon. Best sandwich I’ve ever had. Luckily for me I’ve got to go back next week for round 2!

Always a great treat to stop here and have a coffee and croissants, never disappoints, great place, great food, great staff.

Went to order cheese on toast (so fairly basic)at 14:30 to be told the kitchen had now closed! Why advertise a 16:00pm close if you cant order any hot food? Staff are offhand and unfriendly, won't be returning.

Very good food, lovely atmosphere

Lovely food, amazing staff, location is beautiful :)

Beautiful place lovely food great service

Lovely food in a rustic setting. Staff are cheerful. Gets very busy at lunch time though, best to go before or after the rush.

We bought bread to take away, was delicious! Highly recommend the cinnamon bun thing and the olive sourdough! Sitting area could be bigger

Must visit. Welcome stop after walk along canal. Sourdough took home - VERY good.

We bought sandwiches to take away. The sandwiches were fresh and tasty

Brilliant place, lovely staff. Wonderful food. The mushrooms on toast are very tasty. Can get very busy but don't be put off waiting, it's worth it!

An absolute staple of Slaithwaite life - the best bread and pastries in the village, reasonably priced. The canalside location is perfect for grabbing coffee and a snack before or after a walk, or sit in for hot food and a look behind the scenes in the open kitchen. It can get a bit hectic in busy times or when the weather is bad and people are clamouring to sit inside, but the seating and ordering system has been adapted recently and staff are generally helpful. The business is a cooperative and truly independent and local, well worth supporting :)

This is the finest bakery I have ever been to in the UK. I love my bread, cakes and sandwiches. Nowhere beats here. Cakes are out of this world and breads and sandwiches and super tasty. I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you to you all. There are some amazing hard working staff there too!! Raj

Terrible customer service. Dropped in at 3.40pm on Saturday for a quick coffee and cake. Waited 5 mins whilst a small group were finalising their order, to be told that I could now only order a take-out rather than sit in. The place doesn't close until 4pm so a little bit odd to say the least (would completely understand if it was 3.55pm). But then taking a look at the other staff's faces probably explained things as they were clearly annoyed with some final customers of the day (no eye contact or pleasantries as I took a seat at a nearby table). I live in Marsden and walk to Slaithwaite every weekend, but won't be popping in the Handmade Bakery again! Maybe sort out the attitude (and your counter system as it's confusing), though going off other comments on here, it doesn't appear that good customer service is a priority.

It's the bread I go for it's so good but if you want a coffee and cake that works too.

Best sourdough loafs I’ve tried in the northwest. If you sit in, try the mushrooms and try not to cry with delight 🤣

Best bacon buttie ever imo (looks exactly like the photo on website already), my niece had the beans on toast, lthat looked amazing too, reasonable price considering the ample portions & quality of the food

We went here for a much needed warm drink on a cold day. The woman behind the counter was rather direct and not particularly welcoming. I asked her if the hot chocolate came with cream and marshmallows (as is the way with some establishments) because I do not like cream and marshmallows so I wanted to be sure. The woman abruptly said that it didn’t and seemed affronted that I asked her this. The hot chocolate arrived and it was warm, not particularly chocolatey and just underwhelming in my opinion. Having recently moved into Slaithwaite this is somewhere I won’t go to again or recommend.

We really love this place. Wonderful bread, and bakes. All the food is simple, but such high quality that it shines. It would be helpful if there was a sign saying that the service system for the cafe is to put an item on your chosen table to show it is taken prior to queueing to order your food. The service otherwise is good, and helpful on the whole, but as food is made to order a wait will be necessary.

Beautiful food. Greatest bread ever made in the premises! Get there early!

After a walk along the canal path, this was a welcome stop for a fragrant peppermint loose-leaf tea and a slice of vegan cheesecake.

A busy, loud and draughty cafe, the food was good, nothing special, a bit highly priced .

Home made food whats not to like!

Love it. Great bread, food and friendly staff. No dogs allowed which is great for me.

I lovely place for coffee and breakfast . Pastry are amazing.

What a great find with a fabulous menu.

Best baked bread in the whole valley

All the homemade pies and savouries are to die for scrumptious

Nice bakery! The seeded granary was most delicious!! We also brought some almond croissant and ‘pulla’ (think that’s how it’s spelt) which was a cardamom and cinnamon bun! Didn’t get a chance to take a photo, as we delved into them as soon as we got home! It’s not dog friendly inside, but is outside.

Nowhere else quite like it. They make some great stuff. Good service. Nice presentation. The staff are paid properly. Right by the canal. Not too expensive. Good coffee.

Lovely coffee and nice n spicey ginger cake.

Beautiful coffee and lunch- we cannot wait to return

Really lovely place great coffee we sat outside by the canal after long walk.

Stopped off for cake and coffee after a stroll on the canal towpath. Great Darkwood coffee and tasty cakes. Eat in or outside by the canal. Bagged one of the last brown sourdough loaves available to takeaway - really very good bread.

Lovely bakery on the canalside at Slaithwaite,delicious cakes and savouries and coffee. Great breads to buy ,but get there early for those,they sell out pretty fast . Great service,happy friendly staff. Great value .

Fabulous lunch in a lovely cafe. The sandwiches and cakes on offer were very good. The service was excellent, .

Fabulous place, I would heartily recommend the frittata 😋

Such lovely food. The Guinness cake is famous locally and I can see why! The savoury Danish is also amazing. And if you're sitting in the cinnamon toast is really nice. Staff are... largely friendly? I think they're quite frazzled, bless them! But some of them make a real effort to be cheery, and they are appreciated!

Always a treat to visit here. Savory Danish and Guinness cake are particular favourites

What a brilliant place for a coffee and a bite to eat.

Poor and slow service. We have visited many times, and sadly will not return after our most recent visit. We waited well over 20 minutes for 2 bowls of soup, watching other customers being served before us who had not arrived until well after we had. My soup was cold when it arrived, and had to be sent back. The lady was not apologetic in any way - by the time my second bowl of soup arrived, my partner had finished his. We asked for more butter, and had to get up and ask again for it. When it arrived, it seemed to have come from the freezer - it was hard and notspreadable. The cake slice we took home also completely tasteless. Really disappointing!

Friendly helpful staff good coffee and inviting menu.

Good coffee. Didnt eat but the food looked good.

Their Baguettes, fritatta and sticky ginger cake are my favourites

Great bakery with lovely atmosphere

One of the reasons why Slaithwaite is such a great place.

Stunning food and drink - don't think about it just go

Savoury danish. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Cakes and fresh bread. Darkwoods coffee and now iced lattes. Yep. Still a winner.

What a find, great food and lovely and friendly staff, we had breakfast and bought a loaf to take home.👍

Friendly staff, idyllic setting and award winning food. What more could you want?

Bacon butty😋 best I've had in a while. Lovely small seating area outside overlooking the canal.

We called in after a bit of shopping. Bought a couple of focaccia & a brown soda type loaf … both delicious. Decided to stay for coffee & a bite. I had the best americano for a long time & shared a substantial focaccia sandwich ( pesto mozzarella roast veg) which was suggested by staff to have grilled … good call. Not too busy. All staff very friendly & helpful & a decent clean toilet!!

Fantastic place, great food which is reasonably priced. Well worth a visit. Gets really busy and sometimes have to wait for a table. Service is always good and pleasant. It's a must visit.

A great place to eat, with the added bonus of a fantastic selection of fresh bread to take home.

Great place for lunch. A small but interesting menu of freshly made, tasty food. Friendly and efficient service. Lovely coffee! Came away with a fresh loaf of bread too.

We called in for coffee (excellent flat white) & bacon sandwiches. Would have been very nice except that they didn’t remove the bacon rind so we had to dismantle the bun & pull it off ourselves …. Not good as it really wasn’t crisp enough to eat & should have been be cut off. A little bit overdone too but we still had a nice time in a cosy atmosphere.

Great breakfast. Stopped here after a run with my friend for some refuelling. I had beans on toast with cheese. Homemade beans and delicious bread, made it really good. They were busy, so we sat outside while waiting for a table

Visited yesterday. Had the homemade beans on toast. They were the best I have ever had. I have tried a few things from the menu and haven't been disappointed. Very relaxed place with great attentive staff. It does get busy, but if you are prepared to wait, it's definitely worth it.

Have visited a few times. The food is all homemade. The cinnamon toast is fantastic. Really good value for money. Great staff. Will definitely be back

I follow artisan bakeries on social media, and saw this one and thought I've got to visit. The bonus of owning a motorcycle is you have an excuse to go on adventures. The ride through the peak district certainly built up an appetite. On arrival the location is so picturesque, and the reclaimed industrial interior is on point. The staff were brilliant, polite and attentive. We got there about lunch time and there was no queue and we got a table straight away. There are some seats outside and more inside. My wife who was a bit windblasted fancied sitting in the warmth. We had the Reuben and the New Yorker sandwiches with the salad. Wow wow wow wow, the bread and fillings were worth the journey. Total price for sandwiches, salad and coffee and speciality tea £16 which I thought great value. The only downside was I'd promised my wife Cheesecake, but there wasn't any so we've got to go back.😋😋😋😋😋. The toilet was also really clean so I really can't find fault. Massive 👍👍👍👍🤞

One of our party hails from Slawit and we've been meaning to try this place for ages. So glad we did. Homemade beans on toast, toasties, frittata and accompanying salads all delicious. We bought a loaf of Yorkshire leavened bread to have for breakfast the following day and it didn't disappoint!

Stopped off here and the other half and I had a ploughman’s sandwich, a chunk of gingerbread and a cuppa tea. All were fantastic. The bread was lovely and crusty, and the sandwich packed with ingredients. The gingerbread was awesome, nicely gingery and not at all stodgy. The tea was spot on. Wouldn’t hesitate to go back again. Wish we’d bought a loaf before we left.

Had the most amazing cinnamon toast. Really tasty and filling. The staff were very attentive and delivered amazing customer service. Can get really busy but well worth a visit.

I’ve been a regular customer at the Handmade Bakery for nearly 8 years and it’s always been great.. up until a certain member of staff started that thinks its ok to be rude to her customers (on many occasions). I’ve emailed the bakery twice now about this toxic individual and got no reply. It seems they aren’t bothered, hence why I’m writing here. I won’t set foot in this place while she works there. A paying customer should not be treated like a subhuman. This has gone on too long and I can’t bite my tongue any more. Absolutely shocking.

Called for a sandwich cake and brew. Because we wanted something different than on the menu it upset the computer and the system. The system seems to be set up to only take the menu listed, so a simple request of only a little milk in tea and a cappuccino using only froth ( no hot milk) caused problems. Plus we don’t eat bacon and asked for an egg sandwich which caused further confusion. When the tea came it was like hot milk. When I returned it she almost snatched it from me and said she would bring another - which she did. It was stronger tead hot milk. This made our stop an unpleasant experience and I won’t come again soon. Throughout I was patient as the lady said the till and system were new plus it’s hard to hear behind a screen and through a mask. I don’t feel I deserved poor treatment over the tea

A lovely friendly spot to call in for a coffee and gorgeous handmade pastry. Just delicious. It’s was lovely to sit in the sunshine and watch the world to by.

We last visited the cafe about two years ago and have been dreaming of the mushrooms on toast ever since! We finally revisited and were not disappointed at all. Along with a bacon butty and a croque monsieur we were a happy foursome. Very pleasant...

Was super disappointed on a recent visit. I had my son and his family from London up for a visit and we popped in for lunch. In spite of there being no sign outside saying dogs weren't allowed, an extraordinarily rude woman in uniform strode...

Went for a birthday lunch, we had a bowl of Mushroom Soup although a large portion it was over spiced really. Quite a long wait for the sandwiches we ordered the Bacon sandwich was disappointing and rather fatty. The other sandwich was served with a...

The Handmade Bakery had been recommended to us and as we were in Slaithwaite made a point of visiting the bakery. First thing that struck is was the lovely smell of baking bread etc and also the 'buzz' to the place. Disappointingly, this ambience was...

I have had bread and various other products from the bakery on numerous occasions. All ways lovely and delicious if a tad expensive. I have only eaten once in the cafe. Service was slow, tables dirty full of previous customers dirty cups etc. My main...

Bough Yorkshire leaven bread, delicious pastries and slices of cake to takeaway and we weren’t disappointed. People told us this was a must visit when in Slaithwaite and they were so right. Orange cake and ginger cake were sublime. Bread delicious and the pastries very...