For baked goods just as delicious as the renowned Lannan, but without the trip to Stockbridge and the early-morning queue, look no further than 101 Bakery on Newington Road.
At about a ten-minute walk from the Meadows, 101 is just far south enough to escape the usual rotation of cafés near campus – but as it happens, it’s on my way home, so it’s not so far away that I’d be deterred from stopping by. My flatmate and I have therefore sampled an embarrassing amount of their baked goods over the years, and though they also have coffee and tea available, the cakes and pastries have always been our impetus to visit.
The shop itself is bright and full of personal touches, from the 101-branded merch to the bright pink KitchenAid stand-mixer displayed on the shelf. Though it is unfortunately takeaway-only, it’s almost too easy to pick up a few treats and bring them down to the Meadows for a (probably ill-advised) break from the library.
One of my favourites at 101, the chocolate and date babka is pillowy soft and, where many date-based desserts fall short because of their cloying sugariness, this one is perfectly balanced. The blackberry jam and pecan Bostock, though slightly on the sweeter side, was also delicious – and a textural delight, with its fluffy brioche base and crisp coating.
Years of relentless sweet treat consumption have taught me that anything prefaced with the words “brown butter” is bound to be good, and 101 has proved that hypothesis correct once again. The brown butter plum crumble cake was subtly sweet and delivered again on the textural front, with its crisp streusel-like topping, perfectly dense base, and jammy fruit, elevated by the crème fraiche whip on top. Another winner was the warm and rich flavour of the brown butter cake with cream cheese frosting, although the frosting was too salty for our (perhaps unsophisticated) palates. We also tried the cardamom bun with toasted caramelised nuts, which felt sort of like deviating from my usual iced latte in favour of matcha: pleasant, but it paled in comparison to what was otherwise a series of triumphs.
As it gets warmer, look out for the bakery’s ice cream sandwich, which comprises two of their chocolate chip cookies and is so huge that we struggled to finish it between us. For those looking for a savoury snack, 101 also bakes focaccia in varying flavours, which I’ve yet to sample but will be returning for.
With most items priced between £2.50 and £4.50, it’s also student budget-friendly, particularly if you have more willpower than us and don’t get five different things. The ever-changing selection on offer means that there’s no guarantee your favourite will be available every time you visit, but it does mean there’s always something new – and consistently excellent – to try.
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Images provided by Imaan Shamsi