Brutons The Bakers

So good to have somewhere to buy bread and pastries in Cardiff that isn’t Greggs. Bruton’s, an independent bakers, which are dotted throughout the city make great bread and rolls. They also make pastry to die for. I very rarely eat pastry anymore except as a special treat but when I do I’m likely to make a trip to Brutons for a cheese and onion pastie. And while I’m there I might just scoop up a couple of those gorgeous looking egg custard/​curd tart type of affairs that they make.
Alternatively I might have a Victoria Bun, already buttered, that’s as big as a hardback and made for sharing… or not as the case may be. Their low GI loaf is lovely too. Unfortunately I don’t think it has anything to do with US serviceman, rather a glycemic index indicator. Their food has a density about it that is a taste of how bread and pastry used to be made.
The one drawback is that they haven’t got one in town.

I popped into Brutons for some late lunch at about 3pm and came away with a mixed view of the place. On the one hand the cakes looked very tasty, the bread is baked on site and the hot food is good — the pastry on my sausage roll was nice and crumbly, just how it should be — but on the other hand the selection of baguettes and sandwiches seemed to be running low and while the chicken and bacon filling I had was good the roll it was in was really tough and tasted like it had been sitting there all day.
As it was a good hour after lunchtime I’m willing to give this place the benefit of the doubt sandwich-​wise. There probably is a greater and fresher selection available between 1 and 2 (I’d be surprised if there wasn’t) but even so it’s not like I was there really late in the day so they could have substituted my old roll for a fresher one.
Otherwise Brutons seemed nice enough, there’s drinks, cakes and crisps to have with whatever sandwich you choose and there’s a few meal deals to pick from if you’re on a budget, though even the normal prices are far from expensive. The hot snacks include pasties and various regular and mini sausage rolls and they also bake loaves of bread that you can buy whole. It’s a shame that my sandwich was a bit off because otherwise I’d have been happy to give this place 4 stars, but as is it’ll have to be just an A-​OK from me. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.

This busy bakery on equally busy Cowbridge Road East makes a change from some of the bigger chains — and the bread they bake on site and sell here is a cut above the loaves you can buy from Greggs.
When I went in to grab some brunch here, the staff behind the counter were a really friendly bunch, and all seemed to be having a laugh together and enjoying their work. The bread looked too good to miss, so I bought a loaf as well, as wasn’t disappointed.
The cream cakes are very fresh and very good value, and at the right time of year their hot cross buns are worth a special trip!