With origins in Otley, The Underground Bakery know a thing or two about delicious, freshly baked goods – and they’re bringing them to the city centre.
The Underground Bakery started off with the notion that bread could be better. Fresh out of the pandemic, owners Marcus Fisk and Ash Lees started as a small, wholesale operation in the basement of Ash’s house – hence the name. Fast forward to 2022 and business was booming, so they opened the doors to their Otley shop, but this month brings something even more exciting – a second venue, based in the city centre.
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They’ve transformed what was once the Bad Apples bar on Call Lane, which has sat empty for a few years now. With them, they bring the same opinion they’ve held since their beginnings – that supermarket bread isn’t proper bread. They’re firm believers that if you’re going to buy breads and pastries you may as well have them with the best ingredients you can get, and made with the time and care they deserve
But why did they choose Call Lane? “We wanted to open in the city centre… in our minds, it’s potentially a million miles away from what Otley is”, Marcus told us. “Otley’s a market town, everyone gets their bread from the bakers, and go to the fruit and veg shop, and I guess we just kind of thought it’d be a nice if we could even just attempt to try and take some of that same mindset into the city”.
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The new venue’s interior is a far cry from its predecessors. Marcus describes it as ‘goth chic’, so you can expect a fairly laid-back atmosphere, with a black painted ceiling, grandiose chandeliers and warm yellow lighting. In fact, when they were renovating, the builders discovered the building’s original flooring, made up of tiny mosaic squares. They decided it would be a nice touch to keep them – see if you can spot them when you visit.
And what about the breads and pastries, you ask? Well, where do we start? Almond croissants, savoury danishes and sourdough breads are all trusty steeds, but it’s their specials that really help their offering to come alive. We’re talking a seriously star-studded lineup, where biscoff rocky road and cherry crumble brownies sit alongside olive and chipotle sourdough loaves. Heaven.
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Our favourite, though, has to be the cruffins – they’re the most popular item on the menu for a reason. Flavours change regularly, with past iterations including blueberry & lemon, strawberry & custard and biscoff & white chocolate cheesecake. And for Marcus? Well, “bread wise, my favourite is the wholemeal and rye”, he told us. “Pastry wise, quite classic, but I do like a pan au chocolate”.
And so, there you have it – if you see a queue forming down Call Lane on a Sunday morning, follow it to the start at you’ll find yourself at The Underground Bakery. Expect all the freshly-baked goods we’ve come to know and love, as well as the usual freshly-roasted coffee from Casa Espresso to go hand in hand. Make sure you get down early though, because once they’re gone, they’re gone!
The Underground Bakery, 7 Call Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7DH. It opens on Friday 24th May 2024, with opening hours 8am to 3pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
