With popular products including its seven cereal bread, Lincolnshire Poacher cheese straws and sticky pecan buns, Hambleton Bakery has, for many local foodies, become synonymous with beautiful baked goods. The business was started in Exton in 2008 by co-owners Julian Carter, a 10th generation baker and former Hambleton Hall sous chef, and restaurateur Tim Hart, who also owns Hambleton Hall, along with Harts Restaurant and Harts Hotel in Nottingham.

It began with the aim of making top quality, traditionally-made bread for Hambleton Hall and Harts. Soon, though, such was the bakery's success, it had six shops and an expanded product range including cakes and savouries.

Hambleton Bakery - which, in 2012, won the ITV programme 'Britain's Best Bakery' - now also supplies shops, delis, restaurants, cafes and pubs with its traditional artisan bread and cakes. According to the bakery, its products are made with the best ingredients, no additives and traditional recipes.

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As of last spring, Hambleton Bakery has a purpose-built bakery at Stretton, which focuses on bread production. The Exton site is home to the cake and savoury team and now also has a cafe, which opened at the end of 2022. Having seen photos of the new place and having already purchased, and enjoyed, a few of the bakery’s loaves from local shops, I decided to pay a visit to the cafe, along with my husband, and try out some more of its freshly prepared food.

Hambleton Bakery's Exton site

The Exton shop and cafe

Well, it's certainly in an idyllic spot, tucked away among the trees on the road between Exton and Cottesmore. Fortunately, there's a signpost or two, so you won't miss the turn.

There's a car park next to the building, which really is a lovely-looking place. When you walk in, there’s a shop area, with an enticing display of bread and a cabinet full of savoury and sweet treats, so you can pop in and grab a few cobs and an Eccles cake.

Lots of lovely bread on sale

Or, you can take a seat and enjoy your food in the new cafe to the side. It's a lovely, bright space which has about a dozen tables and large windows allowing you to enjoy the beautiful countryside view. It was busy when we popped in on a Saturday lunchtime, but after a few minutes’ wait we got a table next to the window.

The menu offered a good selection, with 'bakery baskets' containing muffins, manchets, toast or a mixture, with butter, jam, marmalade or Rutland honey, and Hambleton granola served with yoghurt and fruit compote. Cakes included pecan buns, chocolate and hazelnut brownies, lemon tarts and Eccles cakes, and savouries included sausage rolls, Rutland pippins and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese straws.

Inside the cafe

Sharing plates were also on the menu, plus lunch dishes served from 12pm, including soup and sourdough, focaccia sandwiches and salads.

We decided to get a couple of savoury items and a couple of sweet items, opting for the focaccia sandwich daily special (£8.50), which was filled with golden beetroot, garlic and herb cream cheese, watercress and horseradish creme fraiche - plus a goats cheese and red pepper tart (£4.75), a fruit scone with jam and cream (£2.95) and a raspberry and coconut tart (£3.25).

You order and pay at the counter and then your food and drink is brought over when it’s ready. Our latte and cappuccino came first and these were really good coffees.

Soon our table was filled with plates of delicious-looking treats including a rather large focaccia sandwich which I started with. The golden-hued focaccia itself had a wonderfully light and bouncy texture and a delicate flavour enhanced by the rosemary.

Filled focaccia at Hambleton Bakery's cafe

The filling comprised slices of sweet, golden beetroot, rich and garlicky cream cheese, peppery rocket (a slight change from the menu, which said watercress) and horseradish creme fraiche, which gave the sandwich a bit of bite. A beautiful combination.

The goats cheese and red pepper tart was a treat for the tastebuds with the distinctive-tasting goats cheese married with red pepper and spinach in a crisp buttery pastry case. The scone was large, light and fresh and contained plenty of plump fruit.

A scone with a view

It was served with a superb strawberry jam and clotted cream. Honestly, the scone and the jam were up there as among the best we've had.

I was in heaven as I sunk my teeth into the raspberry and coconut tart. Coconut tarts are one of my favourite bakery products and Hambleton Bakery’s version was sublime. It contained a thick, moist layer of desiccated coconut together with raspberries and raspberry jam, encased in a thin layer of rich, sweet pastry. Wonderful.

Raspberry and coconut tart

Verdict

This was one of our favourite foodie visits of late. We found fabulous focaccia, a stunning scone and perfect pastries, served by friendly, efficient staff in pleasant surroundings with a beautiful outlook.

We paid a total of £26.45 including drinks, which I think was a fair price to pay for such an impressive lunch.

It's a place where you'll want to savour the food and savour the view. We left feeling certain of one thing - we will definitely be back!

Our rating: 5/5

Food hygiene rating: 5/5

The cafe did not know we would be paying a review visit and we paid for our food and drinks.

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