A Hackney business that started in a railway arch has once again made the list of the 50 best bakeries in the UK.
The Good Food Guide this week hailed 2026 as the year of the destination bakery as it unveiled the line-up which reflects "the extraordinary range and vitality of Britain’s modern baking scene".
The list is not ranked in order, but simply names the boundary-pushing artisans up and down the country including small-scale micro-bakeries and those experimenting with regionally grown, locally milled heritage grains or introducing global flavours to traditional bakes.
E5 Bakehouse made the cut on last year's inaugural list and has once again passed the stress test from the Good Food Guide’s editors, who weighed up the bakers' strong connection to their communities alongside taste and flavour.
Based near London Fields, the bakery was founded by Ben Mackinnon in 2010 in a railway arch and has since expanded from making bread to serving lunches, cakes, drinks, running baking courses and supplying cafes and restaurants across London.
Now with a second bakehouse in Bow, among its most recent collaborations is the new V&A East Storehouse cafe in Hackney Wick.
It operates along ethical lines, sourcing local ingredients which benefit the health of the planet.
In a recent Instagram posts it wrote: "More than just a cafe, E5 Bakehouse is a true community hub. Whether you’re catching up with friends, getting some work done in their cosy library space, or watching your brunch come to life in the open plan kitchen, it’s the kind of place you’ll keep coming back to.
"What makes it even better? Their commitment to doing things the right way. E5 Bakehouse champions ethically sourced, local ingredients, working closely with farmers who prioritise the health of the planet. It’s all about creating food that’s better for us and future generations - and sharing that journey openly with the community."
Editor of Good Food Guide, Chloë Hamilton, commented: "Choosing just 50 winners was an almost impossible task given how diverse and highly skilled the British baking scene has become.
"From wood-fired sourdough in Perthshire to a central London café peddling pains au chocolat that take you straight to the streets of Paris, one thing uniting them all is sheer unadulterated deliciousness."
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