Stylemum / 03 February 2025 / Categories: Shops, Food & Drink, Food & Drink, Bakery and Cakes

Hambletons Bakery market town Artisan bread

Love the brown sourdough loaf

You cannot spend anytime in Leicestershire (where family is based) without coming across Hambletons bakery, purveyors of fine locally made breads and cakes and suppliers to many local restaurants and hostilieries.

I can take or leave the bread in the most part, preferring the Turkish flat bread from the smaller and less established competition around the corner the Garage Bakehouse but one loaf I really do enjoy from Hambletons is the large brown sourdough.

If you like soft bread, I do, Hambletons bread is mainly crusty, like an American rye loaf. I cannot tell you about the white bread, I don’t eat it. The other thing is the loaves are quite big so unless you are feeding a few people your loaf might be rock solid before you get a chance to finish it.

There’s one other notable thing I’ve bought from Hambleton’s bakery and it’s their mince pies. I found these at another local restaurant in Cosby village, Leicestershire, The Tithe Barn and for one month a year we indulge. They are not traditional, looking more like a mini Christmas pudding with a delicious short crust pastry crust.

These are also something we’d travel for too.

The Hambleton’s Bakery shop is located in Market Harborough on a cobbled back lane just behind the high st. You can actually cut through from the High St where you’ll usually see the queue extending down the street.

Don’t expect wonderful service. It kinda reminds me of the best bagel shop in NYC where people actually go to be insulted. The ladies here do it with a gentle tut or roll of the eye. And make sure you know what you want when you get up to the counter or you might find you miss your turn.