A TRADITIONAL bakery has been named the best in Bradford for the second year running in a T&A competition.
The T&A’s Best Bakery 2025 competition saw readers nominate their favourite businesses once again.
After the list of 10 finalists was unveiled, voting was left in the public’s hands for around two weeks.
The winner can now be named as G&J Pitt Family Bakers, located on Swain House Road in Bradford.
For four decades, the team has been making anything from classic Cornish style pasties and ham salad sandwiches to teacakes and bread.
Geoff Pitt worked at the bakery for a long time before being offered the opportunity to buy the business when the previous owner, Jack, retired.
Geoff and his wife Janet have owned the shop since 1985 and they are now joined by son and business partner, Stephen Pitt.
Describing how it felt to win for the second year running, Geoff said: “It’s great, we’ve had so many comments about it and people wishing us well – fantastic.
“We keep it traditional. We try to add new lines now and again. We’ve got a lot of talented staff, we know what we’re doing.
“We have to do what sells and what sells is more – certainly for us – the traditional element. But that’s what people want.
“Our bread and teacakes is always popular. Everything’s made by us. The teacakes in particular are a real staple of the business, the process is an hour long, the tea cakes are hand made.
“People recognise when they come to us the tea cakes are made in a certain way by us. Nobody else can replicate what we do on that front.
“We get so many people telling us the Cornish hasn’t changed for so many years or ‘I used to get them when I went to Hanson’, ‘I used to get them 20 years ago’.
“A ham salad is by far the most popular sandwich out of everything.
“Shop staff tell me when they go out and about, people will actually shout ‘ham salad’ at them.
“They’re the face of the business so if people see them out and about they get questioned.
“We do get customers far and wide but there’s a massive community aspect to it.”
Geoff added: “It’s down to the staff and their commitment, hard work, loyalty, and longevity. Three have been with us 20 plus years.
“It’s a credit to them. They turn up every day, do a good job, never let us down, they’re always on time, and they serve people to the best of their ability. Hopefully they enjoy working for us as much as we appreciate having them.”
