A south London bakery with fairly flawless reviews is celebrating its first birthday in September by giving away 100 free coffees. Maya’s Bakehouse, in Brixton, started a year ago after Maya Manwaring started baking and selling bread during lockdown.
Since she opened her bakery in September last year, it has become one of the most popular in the local area with near-perfect reviews on Google at 4.8 stars with one happy customer saying “Best bakery in London! Everything I’ve tried from Maya’s Bakehouse has been outstanding”.
On Friday 13 September, Maya is celebrating the bakery’s first birthday, giving away 100 free coffees in partnership with Origin Coffee from 8am until sold out. They will also have 12 of the best cakes voted by the local community, including a huge cake in the shape of the number one. For die-hard fans, there are even limited edition t-shirts available.
“I started baking bread…a lot of bread”
However, Maya has been baking for much longer than just a year, according to a crowdfunding page she created in 2023 to help her open her bakery. She specializes in sourdough and set up a micro-bakery from her home in Brixton during the 2020 pandemic.
She said: “I was stuck at home with a new baby and no creative outlet, so I started baking bread … lots of bread … and when I started making too much bread to eat, I started selling it to people on my street , then the next street, then the next.”
She did this for three years, supplying local cafes and delicatessens and online orders through Delli, and in the meantime had another child. But she realized her successful business was growing out of her kitchen at home and decided to “make the exciting and scary move to a venue.”
She managed to raise over £12,000 in just 28 days to move into her bakery and has been doing very well ever since. The money raised went towards much needed equipment such as a commercial oven and a bakery for croissants.
What goodies does the bakery have?
“The gravy buns are so delicious and they are doing seasonal variations with gooseberries and cherries at the moment. Also the little yoghurt pots with homemade jam are absolutely lovely. I love seeing the new pastries on offer every week.”
Plum and Custard Buns, Toasted Hazelnut Frangipane, Pistachio Pesto & Mortadella Sourdough Rolls, Brown Sugar Syrup & Spelled Madeleines, Brown Sugar Victoria Mushroom with Mixed Berry Jam and Italian Meringue Glaze – these are just a few of the delicious offerings at Maya’s.
One passionate customer wrote: “If you ever find yourself strolling through the busy streets of Brixton, a curious aroma might just tickle your nostrils and lead you by the nose to May’s Bakehouse. This is not just any bakery; oh no , this is the middle-class crack den of sourdough The moment you take that first bite of their crunchy, perfectly tangy sourdough, you’ll understand why locals line up faster than you can say “artisanal”.
He continued: “All in all, Maya’s Bakehouse isn’t just a bakery. It’s a lifestyle choice, a community hub and perhaps the most addictive thing in South West London that’s still legal. Pop in for a loaf, and you might just find yourself wondering how ever lived without their sourdough in your life, just beware of the side effects: you might start to think it’s perfectly normal to own five different types of sourdough.
Bakery opening hours
Maya’s is at 37 Tulse Hill, SW2 2TJ, and is open from 8am to 3pm Wednesday to Friday and from 9am to 3pm on Saturdays. It is closed from Sunday to Tuesday.
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