Suffolk &amp; Cambs


<p>If the return of Bake Off has you craving carbs, there are few better places to get your fix than award-winning Hambleton Bakery and Café in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Well worth making a detour for, Muddy needed to know if it lives up to its stellar reputation. Loosen the waistbands, we’re going in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-white-sourdough">White Sourdough</h2>



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<p>The Bakery’s bestseller, I reckon it’ll be tricky to find a sourdough to match this one for bite. It’s made using ‘Wildfarmed’ flour (that uses heritage wheat, no chemical sprays or artificial fertilisers), an organic base flour and local spelt and rye, plus a splash of salt. Ideal for epic weekend toasties.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plum-tart">Plum Tart</h2>



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<p>Luxurious-looking and a new season special launched last week, this pretty plum tart is one of the stand-out bakes for me. I’m not a massive fan of plums, so the fabulous flavour-punch I was hit with a first bite took me by surprise. The sweet, buttery pastry perfectly balances the tart tastebud-tickling plum. Super yummy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-date-amp-walnut-sourdough">Date &amp; Walnut Sourdough</h2>



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<p>Inject a bit more flavour into your sourdough with this deliciously nutty loaf. With the occasional hit of sweet date, it tastes amazing on its own or with a generous smear of butter.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ham-cheese-amp-mustard-tart">Ham, Cheese &amp; Mustard Tart</h2>



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<p>Another seasonal special, this is spot-on for a light lunch on the go. Denser and more satisfying than a quiche, with layers of great flavour (the mustard makes the cheese and ham sing), all delivered in a perfectly-sized package.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemon-cruffin-nbsp">Lemon Cruffin&nbsp;</h2>



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<p>Dainty, crispy millefeuille, croissanty layers that deliver a light crunch on top of a muffin-style base that hides an oozy, lemony centre. Delish.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carrot-cake">Carrot Cake</h2>



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<p>You’re either a carrot cake kinda gal or you’re not – at least you are until you taste Hambleton’s carrot cake. Moist, oh-so-delicate flavours with satisfying nutty bites of walnut. Not too sweet or overly creamy. Instant convert.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rutland-pippin">Rutland Pippin</h2>



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<p>Impossibly pretty, it’s actually quite hard to take the first bite of this cute little pastry package of perfection. Once you do, it’s eyes closed and &#8220;mmms&#8221; galore. The light bread case hides ham, sausage, stilton and a dash of Granny Smith purée. Nothing overpowering – just beautifully balanced and very tasty.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheese-straw">Cheese straw</h2>



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<p>A bestseller for a reason. This baby is dee-licious. Light with a dense cheesy layer in the centre, the poppy seeds add a certain crunch but it’s the fabulous flavours that steal the show here. A fight almost broke out for the last bite in our house.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heart-shortbread">Heart shortbread</h2>



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<p>Another seasonal special, don’t buy this one as your elevenses dunking biscuit. Way more refined (and way too rich to waste on your morning cuppa), it has the air of a fine dining dessert – light shortbread, a rich ganache and just a hint of salt.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-st-ives-cafe">The St Ives Café</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="759" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/hambleton-bakery-st-ives--1000x759.jpg" alt="the bakery counter at hambleton bakery st ives " class="wp-image-41898" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/hambleton-bakery-st-ives--1000x759.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/hambleton-bakery-st-ives--800x607.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/hambleton-bakery-st-ives--400x303.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/hambleton-bakery-st-ives-.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Of course, you can just take all these goodies away and overload on carbs in the privacy of your own home, or keep things a little more refined and take a seat in the small, but lovely St Ives Hambleton Bakery Café. Right next door to Waitrose, it&#8217;s a bright and friendly place full of ladies who lunch, and we easily while away a couple of hours chatting over coffee, cakes and cruffins. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/soup-and-tart-hambleton.jpg" alt="lunch at hambleton bakery st ives" class="wp-image-41899" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/soup-and-tart-hambleton.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/soup-and-tart-hambleton-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/soup-and-tart-hambleton-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/soup-and-tart-hambleton-400x300.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>On the lunch menu for us? Soup with a ham, cheese and mustard tart on the side and a daily special Lincolnshire Poacher Rarebit followed by a raspberry and custard doughnut and raspberry and coconut tart. To say we felt full was an understatement! </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="2090" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-scaled.jpg" alt="bread display at hambleton bakery in st Ives" class="wp-image-41900" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-800x653.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-1000x816.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-400x327.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-1536x1254.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/09/bread-at-hambleton-bakery-2048x1672.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<p><em><a href="https://www.hambletonbakery.co.uk/pages/visit-us">Hambleton Bakery &amp; Café St Ives</a></em>, <em>3 Library Row, Station Road, St Ives, PE27 5BW</em></p>



<p><em>Hambleton Bakery sources top quality ingredients from local suppliers they know and trust, including: flour and rapeseed oil from Whatton Farm, organic flour from Whissendine Mill &amp; Maud Foster Mill, eggs from Windy Ridge Farm, milk from Vine Farm Dairy, cheese from Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Company and meats from Grasmere Farm Butchers.</em></p>


Luscious loaves & perfect pastries: Top bakes at Hambleton Bakery, St Ives

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