Bakeries in West Bromwich

The baking story of West Bromwich

West Bromwich grew from a heathland village into a busy Black Country industrial town, with nail-makers, ironworks and spring-makers along its streets. Its long High Street still carries the bustle of a market town, and its food mixes Black Country tradition with the flavours of its Punjabi, Pakistani, Caribbean and Polish communities. Here a bread roll is a batch, pork scratchings are a pub essential, and Black Country faggots are made by local butchers. Sweet centres and Punjabi bakeries sell mithai, samosas and nankhatai biscuits, while Caribbean bakers offer patties and hardo bread. Oak House, a timber-framed Tudor merchant's home, preserves a glimpse of the town's much older past.

Local bakes to look out for

• Batch – The local name for a soft, round bread roll.
• Nankhatai – A crumbly, cardamom-scented Indian shortbread biscuit.
• Jamaican patty – A golden pastry turnover with a spiced filling.

Bakery hunter's tip: Explore the High Street and the market, and look for Punjabi sweet centres and Caribbean bakeries around the town centre.

Did you know? Nankhatai, the crumbly Indian shortbread biscuit, is said to have originated in Surat, where Dutch and Indian bakers shared techniques in the 16th century.