Bunhead Bakery

The story

Bunhead Bakery in London: Sourdough Buns Rooted in Palestinian Heritage

The Kitchen and Its Founder

Bunhead Bakery in London delivers a distinctly Palestinian bakery experience rooted in lockdown experimentation. Founder Sara Assad-Mannings began mixing dough as a weekend sideline in 2020, eventually shaping a space where South London meets her ancestral heritage. The Good Food Guide recently named the spot a Local Gem, highlighting the daily queues and the direct import of pantry staples from the region. Every batch reflects a deliberate choice to keep two worlds harmoniously aligned in one room.

Signature Bakes and Ingredients

Sourdough forms the foundation for every item leaving the oven at this Herne Hill bakery. The menu centres on thick, sticky buns that incorporate dates, tahini, and golden syrup sourced directly from family suppliers. Visitors regularly queue for the molasses and tahini roll or the layered Guinness cake finished with labneh. Savoury loaves appear alongside sweet ones, including dense feta brownies and crusty zaatar twists. A syrup-soaked knafeh adaptation rounds out the dessert counter without relying on heavy creams.

Space and Community Impact

The shop floor operates with a small female-led crew who manage orders and bake simultaneously throughout the week. Guests share wooden counters while watching fresh trays emerge from stone ovens. That shared environment has helped the team distribute over ten thousand pounds to humanitarian projects while logging nearly seventy thousand individual buns since opening. The atmosphere stays grounded in practical hospitality rather than polished staging. Locals return because the bread arrives hot and the staff remembers regular orders.