Soda Bread
Soda bread is a quick bread raised by bicarbonate of soda reacting with buttermilk, not yeast. Mixed and baked the same hour, it is the everyday loaf of Ireland, made brown (wholemeal) or white.
Honest Bread lists 24 bakers across the UK and Ireland known for soda bread, each baking from scratch with no additives. A staple of the Irish kitchen, North and South.
Soda Bread bakers
Arbutus Bread
Artisan wholesale bakery in Mayfield founded by former Michelin chef Declan Ryan, baking French-style sourdough and yeast breads through the night. Acquired by the Bretzel Trading Company in 2024 and still operating.
Arun Bakery
Stoneybatter bakery run by master baker Vlad Rainis, making hand-shaped sourdough, spelt, rye and soda breads with flour sourced from Shipton Mill. Pastries and croissants are baked alongside.
Bacus Bhreanainn (Bacus)
Independent craft bakery and cafe on Green Street in Dingle, baking Irish and continental breads in stone-floored deck ovens and supplying shops and restaurants across the peninsula. The range includes sourdough, rye sourdough, soda bread and yeasted loaves.
Bad Girl Bakery
Highland bakery, cafe and cook school run by Jeni Iannetta and Douglas Hardie, baking by hand on site with a second outlet at Inverness Victorian Market. Their bread range runs from focaccia and soda bread to sourdough.
Barbakan Delicatessen
A bakery and delicatessen in Chorlton established in 1964 to serve south Manchester's Polish community, baking over seventy varieties of bread daily using traditional overnight methods. Known for continental rye loaves, bagels and 48-hour sourdough.
Barron's Bakery & Coffee House
Long-running bakery baking bread in Cappoquin since 1887, still using its original Scotch brick ovens with slow natural proving and hand shaping. The range includes wheat and rye sourdoughs, spelt loaves and soda breads.
Bread and Banjo Bakery
Independent Ormeau Road bakery making sourdough loaves and other breads fresh on the premises daily using whole, fresh ingredients. Also known for its Guinness bread and cinnamon rolls.
Ditty's Home Bakery
Third-generation craft bakery in Castledawson founded in 1963, making traditional Northern Irish breads, oatcakes and other bakes the traditional way using locally sourced ingredients. Recipient of an Irish Food Writers' Guild Good Food Award.
Doherty's Home Bakery
Family-run bakery that has baked bread, buns and cakes for the city for over eighty years, with several shops and cafes around Derry serving award-winning breads alongside soups and stews.
Firehouse Bakery
Bakery and bread school run by chef and baker Patrick Ryan, hand-crafting and freshly baking crusty sourdoughs and slow-proved yeasted breads daily. The Gorey cafe has a working bakery on its lower floor.
Hassett's Bakery
Cork artisan bakery founded by Michael Hassett in 1984, baking breads and cakes each morning from local ingredients, with shops in Douglas and Carrigaline.
Hickey's Bakery
Family bakery on Barrack Street making traditional bread and hand-crafted blaas on its premises since 1958. A founding member of the Waterford Blaa Bakers Association behind the blaa's EU PGI status.
Jack's Bakery
Artisan bakery and delicatessen in Killorglin run by Jack and Celine Healy, making hand-made traditional Irish breads and sourdoughs in small batches using natural ingredients.
Marguerite's Home Bakery
Long-established family bakery and restaurant founded in 1970, with sites in Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale in County Limerick and a restaurant in Killarney. Makes handmade breads including sourdough and wholemeal using natural fermentation and no artificial.
Pana Bread
Bakery at Merchants Quay Shopping Centre, with a further shop in Ballincollig, making a range of artisan breads including sourdoughs, rye, soda and gluten-free loaves.
Sunflower Bakery
Family-run bakery established in 2002, based in Ballycummin village in Raheen and trading at the Milk Market and local farmers markets. Bakes a wide range of sourdough using organic flour, with no additives.
The Alternative Bread Company
Long-running stall in Cork's English Market making a large range of handmade breads, including organic sourdoughs, traditional Irish soda bread and flatbreads. Established in 1997.
The Bakehouse
Family-run bakery on South Street where bread, cakes and confectionery are made from scratch on the premises every day using locally sourced ingredients and no additives or preservatives.
The Bakery Ebrington
In-house bakery near Ebrington Square where a team of bakers makes all bread, pastries and cakes on site each day, including a sourdough cob. Sandwiches are built from their own freshly baked bread.
The Baking Emporium
Family-run West Cork bakery established by Andreas and Ingrid Haubold, baking wood-fired continental breads using natural sourdough, yeast and soda. Runs a shop in Clonakilty and attends farmers markets across the county.
The Breadwinner Bakery
Long-established Edinburgh bakery whose bakers shape dough by hand using traditional methods, producing a wide range of breads. Now operates largely as a wholesale bakery supplying cafes and shops across the city.
The Speltbakers
Small family-run real-bread bakery in Bramblestown, Gowran, baking only with organic spelt flour to make sourdough, yeast loaves and soda bread. It supplies markets and shops across Kilkenny, Waterford and Carlow.
The Yellow Door Bakery
Craft artisan bakery serving the foodservice sector across the region, baking sourdough, traditional Irish soda and wheaten breads, ciabatta and patisserie from untreated, unbleached flour. Member of the Real Bread Campaign and a multiple World Bread Awards.
Walsh's Bakehouse
Third-generation family bakery that has hand-baked the Waterford Blaa since 1921 and produces traditional white, brown and soda breads for the South East. The blaa holds EU PGI protected status.