The hyped Chinese bakery chain that is opening 20 locations in the UK

Since it first opened its doors in 2012, London’s Chinatown Bakery has soared to cult status. No trip to Chinatown can be complete without at least having a sniff of its Hong Kong-style baked goods (it’s one of our favourite places to eat in the district). 

What started as one small shop is now a chain with six bakeries across the capital (its latest opened in Westfield White City last month). And soon, it hopes to have many, many more across the rest of the UK. Chinatown Bakery has confirmed that it has ambitions to open 20 new locations both in the Big Smoke and beyond over the next five years. 

That means that soon, you could have the bakery’s famously fluffy pandan cakes and adorable fish-shaped Japanese taiyaki on your doorstep. More of Time Out’s favourite bakes at its London outposts include the iconic bolobao (also known as pineapple buns despite not containing pineapple), the wife cakes (flaky crust pastries filled with winter melon paste) and the savoury spring onion and pork floss bun. 

Don’t just take our word for it. Chinatown Bakery consistently gets rave reviews from customers and is one of the top 30 bakeries in London on TripAdvisor. One recent visitor said the bakes are ‘always outstanding’ while another said it offers ‘absolutely amazing quality and value for money’. 

We don’t know exactly where those 20 new bakeries might be yet but watch this space. 

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