Bakeries in Blackburn

The baking story of Blackburn

Blackburn was once one of the great weaving towns of the world, its skyline crowded with mill chimneys and its people working long shifts at the looms. The food that kept them going was simple Lancashire fare — hotpot, meat pies, barm cakes and, at weekends, cakes and tarts from the corner bakery. The town's market has traded for centuries, and Blackburn's large South Asian community, largely of Indian Gujarati and Pakistani heritage, now gives it a vibrant food scene of sweet centres, naan bakeries and samosa shops. Lancashire cheese, creamy and crumbly, is made on farms to the north-west of the town, and the Ribble Valley, just over the hills, is one of England's finest food areas.

Local bakes to look out for

• Cheese and onion pie – Lancashire cheese and onion baked in shortcrust, a county favourite.
• Meat and potato pie – The everyday pie of Lancashire's mill towns.
• Naan – Soft, blistered flatbread from the town's South Asian bakeries.

Bakery hunter's tip: Explore Blackburn Market and the town centre, then head out to the Ribble Valley's villages for farm shops and tea rooms.

Did you know? Lancashire cheese is sold as Creamy, Tasty or Crumbly, with the traditional types made by mixing curds from more than one day's milk.