Crouch End bakery Dunns wins Best Baker in London 2023

Dunns Bakery has been at the centre of the Crouch End community for two centuries and opened a second branch in Muswell Hill in 2020.

Now it has been voted Best Baker in London in the National Bakery Awards 2023.

Managing director Lewis Freeman, the sixth generation to run the business, said: "We're very happy. It's always nice to get a shiny award. I'm very pleased and happy for my teams as well, who were very proud coming in the next day."

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In 2020, Lewis celebrated 200 years since his great-great-great grandfather Robert Freeman opened the shop in Highgate Hill in 1820.

Lewis Freeman, who runs family business Dunns Bakery with his 'Best Bakery in London' award (Image: Lewis Freeman)

Among the many prizes Lewis has won are the Wright’s flour award for innovation and the London Tiptree world bread awards hero in 2021.

That same year, Dunns was recognised for supporting the community during the Covid pandemic with The Lord Mayor’s Livery Covid-19 award.

Lewis said during the pandemic there were "a lot of people around" buying their award winning bread and it was a good time to open a second store, allowing them to "hit the ground running".

But he said that more recently, trade has been "interesting".

He explained: "We've been busy but the cost of many things going into bread from flour to energy to labour has increased quite considerably, so it's not been easy but we're still plodding along." 

He also cited big fluctuations with school holidays, and roadworks that make trade go "up and down".

Bestsellers remain the Dunns famous sausage roll, followed by jam doughnuts and then its Crouch End sourdough.

His hopes for the future include inflation going down and working visas for Europeans to work in London.

He added: "We're very happy being local neighbourhood bakery for Crouch End and Muswell Hill.

"I hope our customers continue to visit, enjoy and eat our products."