St Leonard's Bakery

Magdalen Road and its surrounds are truly spoiled! With the excellent Sandwiched Inn, the diversity of choice in Bon Gôut and no shortage of quick food solutions nearby, one might wonder how a lowly bakery could survive, let alone thrive in such presence... But this is no lowly bakery. This is one of those magical places, whispered of by worldly wise travelers & loyally lauded by locals alike. A place where you feel special for knowing of its existence, privileged for knowing its location and somewhat jealously possessive of both of those things. Yes yes, plenty would say "what's the big deal? It's just a bakers shop". I assure you, anyone of that opinion either has not been or is genetically immune to the charms of a business which while already excellent is elevated further by the pride and the passion of its owners. Small, cozy, intimate even. On each visit I've been greeted warmly by the owners, whose desire to provide the absolutely best possible in terms of food, atmosphere, service cleanliness and hygiene. In a premises smaller than many newsagents that's no small feat. Yet, as can only be achieved by a business operated by owners who truly love providing the very best, St. Leonard's Bakery not only achieves this but excels at it. Did I not mention the food? It's capability to make you pause, ignoring all around you to savour the deliciousness you never knew existed? Guess I have now. My personal favourite is the range of pasties. Words cannot describe what I consider to be the best in Exeter. The pride even shows through in the approach taken to social distancing in response to Covid19. Visible but unobtrusive, the signage, notices, contactless hand sanitizer & payment, procedures and packaging all contribute so effortlessly as though they were there from the start (I'm sure many were). The finishing touch for this, in my mind at least is the immaculately clean screening hanging ingeniously from the ceiling, resulting in an almost invisible barrier for the protection of all. It's a little thing, I know. But as the shop itself proves, in today's world the little things make all the difference. Outstanding. Thank you.