Northern Rye and Big River Bakery win at National Bakery Awards

The National Bakery Awards held this week recognised thirteen of the best bakeries in the UK.

Newcastle-based Northern Rye, known for its sourdough, and Big River Bakery – praised by the Hairy Bikers for making the “best stotties ever” were among those handed gongs.

Northern Rye was named the best bakery in the North East for the second year running, beating Darlington-based Bakerman and Bread & Roses from Alnwick, Northumberland.

Northern Rye in Ouseburn. (Image: LDRS) Owned by Robbie Livingstone and set up in 2020 the firm has recently expanded from its Ouseburn shop with a new production site in North Shields, and provided Beyonce with croissants when she was touring in Sunderland.

The Telegraph previously described its bread as “brilliant”.

Big River Bakery, based in Shieldfield in Newcastle’s East, was awarded Social Enterprise Bakery of the Year.

With one of “the best stotties ever” according to the Hairy Bikers and a range of sourdoughs it aims to prove artisan baking isn’t just for the well-off.

The Hairy Bikers at the Big River Bakery.

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It provides training for those wanting to get back into work and gives cheap meals for those struggling to afford food with ‘pay what you can’ offers.

The show was featured on hit BBC show ‘The Hairy Bikers Go North’. Speaking of owner Andy Haddon on the show the late Dave Myers said: “There’s not enough Andy’s in the world – he’s a really good guy.”

Suffolk-based Pump Street Bakery was crowned the UK’s best at the event by Bakery Business magazine.