Eat My Words: We review Westgate Bakery in Grantham
If you pay a visit to the Instagram page of this bakery, you could be forgiven for wondering whether it’s all style over substance.
Westgate Bakery opened in Grantham last summer and, ever since, I’ve been drawn in by the beautiful photographs adorning social media and desperate to give it a go.
When you first enter the bakery, just off the Market Place, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s take-away only with just a couple of tables dotted upstairs, and a few outside. On the day I visited with my husband, it was a sunny spring morning but there was still a little chill in the air so there weren’t any hardy souls outside. When it’s a little warmer, I can imagine it’d be a beautiful place to while away a morning. The windows themselves have been artistically decorated with colourful flowers ready for the summer months to arrive.
Inside though, hidden down a flight of stairs, is a basement area which has been beautifully transformed into a cosy space. It has seats for 60 people but, with all the nooks and crannies, it feels much more intimate and is stylish with exposed bricks and beautiful artwork. The original features are made the most of. Next to our table, there was a piece of glass in the floor revealing what was once a well below it.
As for the tables, there’s a mix of chairs and tables — with plenty of smaller coffee tables with cosy armchairs if you’re there for a relaxing coffee and a cake with friends. It feels very chic for Grantham — and once you’re downstairs, it’s easy to forget where you are.
We were shown to our table where we perused a brunch menu and an extensive drinks menu.
I was tempted by the French toast but in the end opted for eggs royale with a side of hash browns, and a vanilla latte, while my husband chose the breakfast grill, and a simple Diet Coke. He had been tempted by the Baker’s Basket, having quickly spied some pastries in the counter display before we were shown downstairs.
A serving staff member came to take our order, although you can also order via a QR code on the table. One thing I found a little disappointing is that the selection of pastries, cakes and sandwiches that were tempting us on the upstairs counter are nowhere to be seen on the menu so you do have to go upstairs for a little peek. However, I’m sure if we’d asked our server he would have been only too happy to tell us.
Our drinks arrived quickly and the food not long after.
My eggs royale was beautiful — I’ve written before about how I judge a brunch by how the eggs are cooked and if they’re not oozing, then the breakfast is ruined. Thankfully mine was spot on but the thing that really stood out for me — and took me by surprise in a dish that’s rich with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce — was the sourdough bread itself. A bite of it without any of the topping really was beautiful.
Read more Eat My Words reviews here
Richard remarked on the high quality of the food but said overall he felt the dish was a little dry. It was much like a full English but missing an addition of either some baked beans or tomatoes. His egg yolk didn’t provide the ooze he was looking for so he requested some tomato ketchup. Had there been beans as a side dish, he definitely felt like that would have lifted it up.
The artisan bakery is owned by Michelin star chef Adebola Adeshina, who also owns The Chubby Castor, a stone’s throw from Stamford, and the quality of the food being used is absolutely clear to see.
We were both left full but we couldn’t help but stop to have a look at the cakes on our way out and we were tempted enough to take a couple of pastries home. I chose the rhubarb and custard Danish — having seen it on Instagram — while Richard chose a chocolate cream croissant. There were plenty more items I fancied though.
The sourness and crunch of the rhubarb went perfectly with the cream and there was no soggy pastry here. I can’t tell you what Richard’s pastry was like - he polished it off too quickly!
So, having now visited, I can tell you there’s a lot more to this bakery than meets the eye on Instagram. It’s a beautiful venue with gorgeous food to match. Yes, it’s presented well enough for an Insta-friendly photo but it also tastes delicious.
People were queuing out the door on day one and this venue deserves to continue that trend long into the future. I’ll be back — and I’ve already got my eye on the afternoon tea.
Out of five:
Food: My brunch dish, and our pastries, were perfect but Richard’s dish was a little dry ****
Drink: My latte had the perfect amount of vanilla and I loved the little love heart in the foam. There was a good choice of drinks too and the bakery has a licence *****
Decor: It strikes the perfect balance between being modern and cosy. I remarked that it would be perfect for a party and it can be hired out for private functions *****
Staff: The staff who served us were very friendly. No-one asked if everything was OK with our dishes though so there wasn’t an opportunity to raise an issue if there had been one ****
Price: We were invited so our visit was complimentary. Everything we enjoyed, including the take-away pastries, would have come to about £45, which I would have been happy to pay for the quality of the food being used *****
Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@lincsonline.co.uk
