Rye Bakery

Cardamom buns that go before the day does

The pastry counter is where Rye Bakery makes its case in Frome. Cardamom buns sell out daily, usually well before closing, and the seasonal Danish rotation runs alongside them; an orange crème version is one of the better ones to catch. Bread sits at the centre of the operation, and the savoury end of the case keeps sarnies and baguettes in play for anyone arriving at lunch rather than at nine in the morning. The Good Food Guide calls it a Local Gem and named it in its Britain’s Best Bakeries list for 2026, praising the pastries alongside the homemade pickles, ferments and salads that fill out the counter.

A bakery with a pizza oven and a wine bar next door

Rye is more than a retail counter. It occupies a warehouse conversion shared with an art gallery and a wine bar that runs live music at weekends, so a visit can start with coffee and a bun and end somewhere else entirely. The café half is a core part of the business rather than a few tables added to a bread shop, which is what makes it worth planning around rather than passing through. A large oven anchors the savoury kitchen, turning out Neapolitan-style pizza, including one built on fior di latte, pesto and pepperoni. There is indoor and outdoor seating plus a play area for children, so it holds up as a family stop as well as a solo errand.

Local grain, and what to order first

Sourcing is the through-line. Fruit, vegetables and the grain milled for the baking are bought as locally as the bakery can manage, and that is what gives the loaves their character rather than any single house recipe. Start with the cardamom bun, the bake most tied to the bakery’s reputation and the one most likely to be gone if you arrive late. If the Danishes are on, take one. If you are staying for lunch, the pizza is the strongest savoury order, with the pickles and ferments beside it. Bread to take home is the other reason people keep coming back, and it is the part of the counter that best explains the grain sourcing. A full visit can run from pastry through lunch and into the wine bar without leaving the building.