With The Great British Bake Off almost upon us, we felt inspired to celebrate our baking heritage by checking out the places where some of England’s most famous bakes originated.

Take a look at our baker's dozen of showstopping cakes, pies and puds to try on your next Staycation break. Best experienced in the area they originate from, it’s not just about the taste of the food, but the people and the setting too. So get out there and try some great English bakes & breaks for yourself!

Cornish Pasties – Cornwall

No trip to Cornwall is complete without trying a proper Cornish pasty. These hearty savoury bakes are believed to have originated as a meal for Cornish tin miners, as the meat and potatoes covered in pastry formed a proper meal they could carry down to the pit. Today they are enjoyed by all.
Great places to stay: Check out our Cornwall holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Ann’s Pasties, Lizard and Porthleven; Sarah’s Pasty Shop and Martin’s Dairy in Looe; Warrens Bakery, Truro and Newquay; Chough Bakery, Padstow; Horse and Jockey Bakery in Helston and Porthleven.
Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers' Cornish pasty recipe.

Banoffee Pie - East Sussex

Although believed by many to hail from America, banoffee pie was actually invented at The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, near Eastbourne in 1972. This sumptuous dessert consists of a pastry base, bananas, cream, and toffee made from boiled condensed milk.
Great places to stay: Check out Brooks Lodge near Lewes.
Great places to try nearby: Sadly The Hungry Monk restaurant is no more, but there are plenty of other places to try banoffee pie - we suggest Padella D'oro, Newhaven; The Green Man, Ringmer; Sussex Ox, Polegate; Casalingo, Brighton; The Dolphin, Eastbourne.
Get the recipe: Banoffi pie: The original Hungry Monk recipe.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Cumbria

Sticky toffee pudding was created in the 1960s by Francis Coulson at the Sharrow Bay Hotel by the majestic Ullswater Lake - a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds! This baked sponge made with chopped dates and black treacle is usually served with vanilla custard or ice cream and is considered a classic British dessert.
Great places to stay: See our Cumbria holiday properties.
Great places to try nearby: We recommend the restaurant at the Sharrow Bay, just 6 minutes' drive away, or the Cartmel Village Shop.
Get the recipe: Phil Vickery's sticky toffee pudding.

Welsh Cakes - Wales

Popular in Wales since the 19th century, Welsh cakes are made by combining butter, sugar, flour and dried fruit like sultanas. Traditionally cooked on a bakestone – a cast iron griddle placed over a stove or fire – these teatime treats can be served hot or cold and are sprinkled with caster sugar.
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in Wales.
Great places to try nearby: Fabulous Welshcakes, Cardiff Bay; Cardiff Bakestones, Cardiff Market; Little Valley Bakery, Swansea; Davies of Mumbles; Swansea's indoor market.
Get the recipe: Traditional Welsh cakes.

Devonshire scones - Devon

© Bumble and Bee, Exmouth

Arguably Devon is most famous for its Devonshire cream teas - warm scones topped with heavenly clotted cream from Devon’s rich dairy pastures and sweet fruity jam. And you have licence to indulge yourself since you’re on holiday! Just be sure to put the cream on first or you’ll be on the first trawler back to Padstow!
Great places to stay: Check out our Devon holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Check out these recommended cafés, all within an easy drive of our Devon holiday cottages.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s Devonshire scones.

Fidget Pie - Shropshire

Fidget Pie by Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017)

When it comes to testing the cuisine of Shropshire, it doesn’t really get more traditional than a fidget pie. First cooked up in Shropshire around 400 years ago, the fillings include, gammon, onions, apples and cider, topped with a pastry and cheese lid. You know the fidget pie must be good, as it has been tried and tested by popular TV chefs the Hairy Bikers.
Great places to stay: Check out our Shropshire holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: The Ludlow Food Centre.
Get the recipe: The Ludlow Food Centre, famous for the fidget pie, actually appeared on Hairy Bikers in 2013, where the pair cooked up their very own version.

Gypsy Tart - Kent

This very iconic Kentish pudding is made with just three ingredients: a pie crust, evaporated milk and brown sugar. A popular staple of school dinner menus, this very creamy, toffee flavoured desert is now a culinary classic with recipes from Mary Berry, Nigella Lawson and more.
Great places to stay: Check out our Kent holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: The Oak on the Green, Bearsted; Havishams, Faversham; The Garden Restaurant, Bethersden.
Get the recipe: Paul Hollywood’s gypsy tart.

Cornish Split - Cornwall

We all know the great scone debate: should the cream or the jam be spread first? The original king of the cream tea however was the Cornish split. More of a bread-roll style bake, they are made using yeast, slightly sweetened and ‘split’ open to spread with jam (first obviously) and clotted cream. Maybe the real debate should be over whether a split is better than a scone!
Great places to stay: Check out our Cornwall holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: It’s very hard to find a Cornish split outside of Cornwall – great places to buy them include Berryman’s in Redruth or Perranporth; The Cornish Food Box Company in Truro; Trevilley Farm Shop near Newquay; Portreath Bakery.
Get the recipe: The Cream Tea Society traditional Cornish split.

Lardy Cake – Wiltshire & Cotswolds

Lardy cake is a traditional English tea bread made with rendered lard, flour, sugar, spices, and dried fruit. It originates from Wiltshire and is commonly found today throughout counties that have high pig populations (of which lard is a product). Lardy cake is fine cold…but wonderful hot, straight out of the oven!
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in The Cotswolds.
Great places to try nearby: Marshalls Bakery, Pewsey; Reeve the baker, Devizes; Huffkins in Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Witney, Cotswolds.
Get the recipe: Paul Hollywood’s lardy cake.

Cumberland Rum Nicky - Cumbria

© Booths

Paul Hollywood is something of a champion of this classic Lake District bake. Dating back to the 17th century when new and exotic ingredients from the Caribbean landed at Whitehaven Harbour, this rich and sticky tart filled with dried dates is laden with spices and rum and covered with a pastry lattice.
Great places to stay: See our Cumbria holiday properties.
Great places to try nearby: Buy from Booths (nearest is Penrith), or sample in cafes and teashops.
Get the recipe: Paul’s Cumberland Rum Nicky.

Shrewsbury Cake - Shropshire

© The Little Café, Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury cakes (or biscuits) were first documented in the 1500s. The most famous maker was a Mr Pailin and there is a plaque referring to his unique recipe in 1760 on an old shop near to Shrewsbury Castle. There are many variations, but generally speaking, it is a large, round shortbread with spices and rose flavouring that gives a distinctive ‘Turkish Delight‘ flavour. They are also among the most popular snacks in India.
Great places to stay: Check out our Shropshire holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: The Little Café, Shrewsbury; Darwin’s, Shrewsbury; ‘Baked For You’ bakery also produces them, found in outlets and farmer’s markets all around Shropshire.
Get the recipe: Shrewsbury biscuits.

Huffkins - Kent

Huffkins are soft crusted bap-like rolls that are distinguished by an indentation in the centre, made by the baker’s thumb. These rolls continue as a traditional Kent delicacy to this day and are still found in local Kentish bakeries as well as replacing sandwiches in some pubs and cafes.
Great places to stay: Check out our Kent holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Sun Inn, Faversham; Oscars Bakery, Faversham; Tiny Tim’s Tearoom, Canterbury.
Get the recipe: Rose Prince’s Baking Club: Huffkins.

Apple cake – Somerset, Devon & Dorset

As apple-growing regions, Somerset, Dorset and Devon all boast a famous local recipe for the Apple cake. This deliciously moist sweet treat is equally good served warm with ice cream or dusted with icing sugar alongside a morning coffee.
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in Somerset, Devon & Dorset.
Great places to try nearby: Lion Rock Tea Rooms, Cheddar; Blinis Café Bar, Sidmouth.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s ‘The very best apple dessert cake’.

Whether it’s a sweet or savoury treat that piques your fancy, there are some fabulous culinary secrets to uncover on your next UK ‘Bake-cation’.