Bakeries in Hereford

The baking story of Hereford

Hereford is a small cathedral city surrounded by some of England's richest farming country, and its food flows straight from the fields and orchards. Herefordshire is famous for cider and perry, pressed from apple and pear varieties grown in old orchards across the county, and the city's cider museum tells the story. The red-and-white-faced Hereford breed of cattle, now raised across the world, originated here. Cider seeps into local baking too: cider cake, dense with soaked dried fruit, and apple cakes and pies made with fruit from nearby farms. The Butter Market, a covered Victorian market hall in the heart of the city, still sells local produce, and the streets around it are lined with independent cafés and tea rooms.

Local bakes to look out for

• Cider cake – A moist fruit cake made with dried fruit soaked in Herefordshire cider.
• Herefordshire apple pie – A generous pie made with apples from the county's orchards.

Bakery hunter's tip: Start at the Butter Market and explore the lanes around the cathedral, then head into the county in autumn when the orchards and cider mills are busiest.

Did you know? The Hereford breed of beef cattle was developed in Herefordshire in the 18th century and is now farmed around the world.