Countless independent bakeries have opened across London in recent years, but only a few have drawn queues like Layla Bakery in Notting Hill. Now, Layla number two has launched in Acton.
When founder Tessa Faulkner came across the compact space on Churchfield Road, just a short walk from Acton Central Station, she knew she’d found the right spot. “I felt like there was an opportunity in Acton which felt similar to when we opened [in Notting Hill] a few years ago,” she tells Broadsheet. “Friends who’ve moved here often say Acton’s missing a bakery like ours.”
The new site is more takeaway-focused than the original, with just four barstools inside and two benches outside. But don’t mistake smaller for lesser. The Acton branch carries all the Layla favourites: sourdoughs, sandwiches and seasonal tarts. Plus, there are three exclusive bakes created specifically for the neighbourhood: a blackberry and green cardamom bow tie; a hazelnut praline and chocolate chip cookie; and a roasted hazelnut, Assembly coffee and dark chocolate pain suisse. Everything is made at the original production kitchen in Ladbroke Grove.
“We want the sites to ‘sing together’ but also be slightly different,” says Faulkner. “Hopefully, if you live between the two, you’ll be tempted to go to different ones depending on what you want.”
Acton also marks Layla’s first venture into matcha, with ceremonial-grade tea supplied by London-based Sayuri, which sources it directly from growers in Uji, Japan’s renowned tea region. It’s often requested at the Notting Hill branch, and here joins Layla’s roster of suppliers, including Assembly Coffee, Estate Dairy and Natoora.
Drinks and pastries are served in Layla’s signature beautiful ceramics, crafted by Walthamstow-based artist Naemi Miyazu, who has made a bespoke collection that fuses her Swedish upbringing and Indian-Japanese heritage. “We created a range [of ceramics] based on what we know works, but in different shapes,” says Faulkner of extending Layla’s commitment to craftsmanship beyond the kitchen.
Faulkner says her ambition is always to “create a really good reliable spot for locals. The food scene around [Notting Hill] has boomed in the last couple of years, but when we opened [in 2021], it felt very neighbourhood-y,” she says. In the last few years it has become a serious hotspot thanks to neighbours like Canteen, The Fat Badger, Straker's and Acre Deli.
She also hints at more Laylas to come. “We always said our production kitchen had the capacity for two more sites. Acton’s the first, and then maybe we do one more.”
Layla Bakery Acton
53 Churchfield Road, W3 6AY
Hours:
Wed to Sun 7.30am–3.30pm
