Ratings are out of 100, with 100 being the highest standard and 0 being the lowest
Quick Summary:
- A gluten-free bakery and cafe in Leeds, Meanwood
- With cookies, doughnuts, whoopie pies, vegetable sausage rolls and many more too choose from…all GLUTEN-FREE
- A very small lunch menu but also has an online shop!
- Location: Leeds, Meanwood
The Gluten-Free Options at Wildcraft Bakery: ALL Options are Gluten-Free
Arriving at Wildcraft Bakery in Leeds was so exciting as I knew I wouldn’t need to worry about any cross-contamination or what I could eat as EVERYTHING is gluten free! The only thing I would need to worry about is what to pick from the huge selection.
I had pre-planned coming to this bakery a few days before, so I was checking their online menu frequently, trying to decide what food I’d try. With so many options including: whoopie pies, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, bread, buns, scones and so much more!
The Lunch Options: A Small Menu
The bakery section of Wildcraft Bakery is very exciting for coeliacs, as there is so much to pick from and so much food we’d never typically be able to eat. However, the lunch menu is a lot smaller. I was hoping to see some exciting options such as gluten-free sourdough sandwiches, pastries, pies, pittas, etc. All the normal ‘gluteny’ foods, basically.
BUT, instead, the menu included gluten-free toasties, jacket potatoes, salads, quiches, a mushroom ‘sausage’ roll, and a tomato focaccia. These are still some good options included, however, many of these were rather small for a lunch and were quite disappointing when put on a plate.
A Long Wait For A Microwaved ‘Sausage’ Roll
I ordered the Mushroom ‘Sausage Roll’ and a cappuccino, and sat at a table with my friends once we had all ordered. We noticed that everyone, other than me and one other, had gotten their food, but we were still waiting for at least 15 minutes after them. They had both ordered toasties, whereas my other friend who was still waiting had ordered the quiche.
Eventually, I asked about our food, and the waitress realised she had forgotten our order. Despite us having seen her put the quiche in the microwave as soon as we had ordered. She apologised and went to get our food. She immediately came back with my friend’s quiche, literally in less than 40 seconds. I saw her take it out of the microwave, where it must have been sitting for at least 15 minutes without any heat, and then taken out to be put on a plate. About a minute after this, my ‘Sausage’ Roll arrived, which I saw her put in the microwave for no longer than 30 seconds.
I am complaining, but I do understand it is easy to forget an order, and the Wildcraft Café is only small. But my ‘Sausage’ Roll was half warm and half cold. The fork I was given was also unclean, with food clearly still on it.
The toasties my friends had were very greasy and so tiny, with a small ration of salad leaves on the side and what looked like water pooling on their plates.
The quiche was really nice, with a thick pastry and a creamy filling. The ‘Sausage’ Roll was okay—the pastry was too thick for me, and with it being half cold and half warm, I just couldn’t enjoy it.
The Best Part: Sweet Treats
Now for the bit that would convince me to get a ‘To-Go’ order next time—or just order online: the bakery sweet treats!
After a disappointing lunch, I was really, really hoping the dessert I picked would steal the show. And it did!
There were so many options, it was genuinely difficult to choose. I had previously been to Wildcraft Bakery about 2–3 years before this recent visit, just to take away something nice, and I remember seeing so much food. I recall there being loads of cakes, fresh loaves of bread, buns, pastries, basically a full spread of gluten-free goodies.
Compared to that, this recent trip felt more limited. There were still some cookies, doughnuts, cupcakes, and whoopie pies, but no buns, no pastries, no fresh bread, etc. Perhaps I came on the wrong day, but I was a little disappointed.
Anyway, after a lot of decision-making, I chose the Biscraft Doughnut and the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. The Biscraft Doughnut was definitely the best. It had a lovely sweet icing, a white cream filling, and really soft, gooey doughnut dough. This was delicious!
The Red Velvet Whoopie Pie was tasty (a little bit dry) but the filling was really sweet and creamy, and the two cake sandwiches did have a nice red velvet flavour.
My friends also got the lemon cupcake and the coffee cupcake. The lemon cupcake was definitely the nicer of the two: it was moist with the perfect hint of lemon, whereas the coffee cupcake unexpectedly had cinnamon in it.
The sweet treats definitely turned this visit from going badly to going well.
Would I Recommend Wildcraft Bakery?
Definitely…for a take-out or online shop!
Wildcraft Bakery is a great safe option for coeliacs, and it is so lovely to have an entire gluten free menu. It’s exciting to visit and to enjoy a safe sweet treat. BUT I wouldn’t bother with having lunch there again, the food isn’t the best despite the gluten-free options.
100% try their online shop or just pop in to get a doughnut to-go!