Lá Liath Bakery — Restaurant in Seattle

There was a hankering in the household for Hot Cross Buns, so the whole family took the bus to La Liath to get a couple. But when we got into the shop, we were then seduced by the countertop displays.

We're New Zealanders, so we went for the lamingtons, the sausage rolls, and a trio of Anzac biscuits (along with four hot cross buns). The lady behind the counter was lovely, and confirmed that many of the recipes are Australian in origin.

Speaking as a Kiwi then; the lamingtons only seem dense. That was only a product of them not being cut in half like they would be back home, so don't be fooled. If you are really worried then they stand up (really really well) to ten seconds in the microwave - the spouse did this and I scabbed a bite of the result, and was instantly jealous of the plate. The sponge inside was delicious and soft. The Australians like their lambington coconut forward, so the soft notes of the chocolate were only a counterpoint. It would be interesting to commission a raspberry one and ask to see how that stood up to this Aussie philosophy.

The sausage rolls were excellent, top drawer. They had an almost Scottish approach to the sausage, with dense and highly seasoned pork leavened with some sort of shallot (spring onion?). But the pastry was all Antipodean - light, puffed, and flaky. I thought it was pretty damn good. We finished it off in the store, and had to talk ourselves out of buying some for the road.

The Anzac biscuits were made with the British golden syrup (the one in the green tin) which has darker notes to the flavour than the AU stuff in the red tin; instead of the lightly golden syrup of NZ or AU this meant the flavour in the biccy was almost molasses. I liked it, my better half didn't. Good for me, as it meant I got the rest of the packet, which I finished off before we made it out of the store.

Then the reason we were there, the hot cross buns. They were large, deceptively soft (they seem dense on pickup), and balanced. The first bite is all notes of peel, the fruit, and light spicing. This isn't squishy like a supermarket one, but more like a Brumbies or a Copeland style. The texture is really good, and it almost seems a shame to toast them. But put a good butter on it and its so delicious. You can't lose.

If you're just looking for a bakery that kind of "gets it" then this is indeed the place. The staff have clearly done a huge amount of research, but are also developing their own spin on all these classics. They're also friendly and helpful.

Thank you to the staff member helping us on the day, and we're still talking about the...

I first came across Lá Liath at the Northwest Tea Festival so I decided to check out their physical location. I was not disappointed! They serve a mix of savory and sweet pastries traditional to the British Isles. There was only one staff member working when I visited who seemed to be doing all the baking, order packaging, and checking out, and they were extremely friendly and lovely to chat with.

Everything I got here was delicious, but a few standouts: · Sausage rolls: only offered on the weekends, but absolutely phenomenal if you get there right at opening while they're fresh out of the oven. Incredibly flaky and flavorful. Meat-based or vegetarian! · Gala pie: another savory option, this one served cold. Exploding with flavor, especially with the mustardy piccalilli that comes with it. Apparently this was just a one-off special inspired by The Great British Bake Off, but I'd vote for this to become a full-time offering! · Guinness cake: super rich and moist. · Chelsea bun: the perfect texture you could ask for in a cinnamon roll. · Mini Victoria sponge, jammy dodger: classics done really, really well.

Sadly there is no seating at which to enjoy your treats.

Make a trip on a weekend morning for some phenomenal warm sausage rolls and get a few goodies...

I want to shout out Lá Liath Bakery in Wallingford! 🌈🎂 I first heard about Lá Liath from a Facebook group. I reached out right away and ordered a cake for my best friend's birthday.

Well… on the day of the party, I completely mixed up their hours and showed up after they had closed at 2pm. 😩 I emailed them in a panic, and to my surprise and deep gratitude, the owner coordinated with one of their bakers, Cooper, who drove back to the bakery just to meet me and give me the cake.

Thanks to the kindness and above-and-beyond effort of the Lá Liath team, I was able to show up to the party with the most beautiful birthday cake my friend said she's has ever had. 🥹❤️

Support local businesses this month (and always!)—they’re out here...