I tried this highly-rated Scottish bakery - and this is what they've got just right

I’m an absolute sucker for a good bakery. Having grown up with Stephens and Baynes in Fife, I now find myself thankfully (though maybe not for my waistline) surrounded by a wide variety of independent bakeries and coffee shops in Glasgow’s west end. Any trip to get coffee usually results in me buying a biscuit to go with it, and I am in awe of the perfect layers of lamination on the pastries, the creative cakes and the seasonal sweets in these local eateries.

It was with great interest that I read the Good Food Guide’s top 50 UK bakeries, which was published in March. Only nine Scottish bakeries made the list - the vast majority in Edinburgh - with only one in Glasgow making the cut - Beefcake Cafe. Luckily for me, it’s only a short walk from my flat so I recently wandered along to pick up lunch and try some of their bakes.

Beefcake is located in Anniesland, just off Great Western Road and is owned by Glasgow husband and wife team Catriona and Justin Savage. This recent accolade is one of many, they’ve since been shortlisted for the 2025 Scotch Pie Championship and have won multiple awards since opening in 2015.

The Good Food Guide had this to say about the bustling cafe: “By Wednesday each week, the Beefcake Café's Facebook page reveals the eclectic delights that will be available to eat in or take away from Thursday to Sunday (10am-2pm).

“The owners have an obsession with sourdoughs and a passion for pastry, and this very personal business sells out fast. Their regular menu of filled floury baps brimming with breakfast or brunch, loaded sourdough toasts and viennoiserie is supplemented by the likes of sweetcorn fritters with avocado and poached egg, while pies might bring bold combos such as butternut squash with oyster mushroom and halloumi.

“Otherwise, their perfectly laminated croissant-based options are supplemented by ever-changing Danishes (think pear, blackberry and tonka bean). There's bread, of course, and the place is licensed too.”

I visited during the amazingly sunny weather in early April, and, having failed completely to pre-order via the business’s Facebook page, was glad to see their seasonal pie and cinnamon buns were still available.

The cinnamon bun, lunchtime meatball bap, veggie pie and ginger cake slice from Beefcake Cafe | Rosalind Erskine

The pie was filled with an array of springtime veg including: English asparagus with petit pois, edamame, broad and runner beans, rainbow chard and red pepper with mint, basil and caper cheese sauce to bind it all together. Served in a flaky puff pastry case it was wonderfully creamy with the fresh peas, pepper and hers cutting through the cheese sauce.

I also ordered a regular menu item, the lunchtime bap which is a meatball marinara roll with cheese and salad. Rich beef and pork meatballs in a flavourful tomato sauce were topped with parmesan, mozzarella and salad in a fresh, soft roll. I was worried I’d be too full to try this, but I wolfed it down. It was too good not to.

For something sweet, because I couldn’t not indulge, I ordered a signature cinnamon bun and a slice of ginger cake. The large swirl of crisp pastry was covered in cinnamon spiked sugar giving it a sticky glaze while the rich dark ginger cake slice was reminiscent of ginger loaf from my childhood. All in all a brilliant, if very indulgent, lunch in the sun.

Beefcake Cafe was full when I ordered takeaway, with many more people arriving to do the same, and I can see why - with their array of bakes and sourdough bread - they’ve made the Good Food Guide list. I’ll definitely be back and order the meatball bap and cinnamon bun again, and this time try their potential future-award-winning Scotch pie.