Best Bakeries in South Shields
From a craft bakery on Stanhope Road to an artisan family business on Rosebery Avenue, here are the best bakeries in South Shields for bread, cakes, and pastries.
South Shields has a quiet but solid bakery scene. The big supermarkets dominate the bread aisle, but if you want proper bread — sourdough with a crust, cakes made that morning, stotties the way they should be — the town still has independent bakers doing things right. Here are the best bakeries in South Shields.
Lee's Family Bakers
Lee's Family Bakers at 350 Stanhope Road is a proper neighbourhood bakery with a loyal local following. The range covers freshly baked bread, sourdough, pastries, cakes, and savouries, all made on the premises. The staff are friendly, the prices are fair, and the quality is consistent — which is exactly what you want from a bakery you visit every week.
Lee's has built its reputation on doing the basics well. If you have not tried it, the sourdough is a good place to start.
Best for: Neighbourhood bakery on Stanhope Road with freshly baked bread, sourdough, cakes, and pastries made on the premises every day.
Akins Family Bakers
Akins Family Bakers at 26 Rosebery Avenue is one of the standout independent bakeries in South Shields. Their artisan craft bakers produce everything from wholemeal and multiseed loaves to white farmhouse bread and sourdough, using only the finest ingredients. The cakes and pastries are baked fresh daily, and the quality is excellent.
Akins is the sort of bakery where everything in the window looks good and tastes even better. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm and Saturday from 7.30am to 3.30pm.
Best for: Artisan family bakery on Rosebery Avenue — wholemeal, multiseed, sourdough, and cakes baked fresh daily by trained craft bakers.
Cooplands
Cooplands at 88 King Street is part of the well-known high street chain, but it remains a reliable stop for bread, rolls, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, and cakes at sensible prices. The King Street branch is handy for the town centre and the Metro station.
If you are after a quick sausage roll or a sandwich on the go, Cooplands delivers. It is not artisan, but it is consistent and good value.
Best for: High street bakery on King Street — reliable bread, pies, sausage rolls, and sandwiches at sensible prices near the town centre.
What to look for
The best bakeries in South Shields share a few things in common: they bake fresh each morning, they do not rely on frozen dough shipped in from a factory, and they have staff who know the difference between a stottie and a bap. If you are new to the area, try a different bakery each week until you find your regular.
For something sweet to go with your bread, see our guide to the best cafes in South Shields, many of which bake their own cakes on site.
Looking for more food and drink? See our guides to restaurants, breakfast spots, and coffee shops in South Shields.