Looking for the best bakeries in Tauranga? From long-fermented sourdough and laminated pastries to pies, celebration cakes and catering platters, a good bakery in Tauranga covers everything from the morning loaf to the office shout. Breadhead in the city centre and Flaveur Breads in Mount Maunganui are two strong places to start, with more options in Greerton and Pāpāmoa.
1Breadhead
Breadhead is a scratch bakery on St John Street run by Brent and Kate Beamish, who started it in 2018 after outgrowing their earlier business, Love Rosie Bakery. It suits anyone after serious sourdough and pastry, with a second outlet inside Toi Tauranga Art Gallery on Willow Street for coffee and a sit-down.
Services
- Sourdough loaves including country, seedy, miso tahini, ancient grain and olive walnut
- Croissants, pain au chocolat, Danish pastries, bear claws and cruffins
- Baguettes, ciabatta, focaccia and bagels
- Sandwiches, sweet treats and coffee, to go or dine in
- Online ordering for next-day collection
Highlights
- Sourdoughs made with around 25% organic wholemeal and whole rye flour
- All sourdoughs available online are vegan
- Yeasted breads given an 18 hour cold proof
- Gluten free bread available to order
Location & Contact
Name: Breadhead
Address: 2A St John Street, Tauranga (also at Toi Tauranga Art Gallery, 108 Willow Street)
Phone: 07 281 1061
Website: breadhead.co.nz
2Flaveur Breads
Flaveur Breads began baking on a farm in Te Puke in 2009 and now runs a bakery cafe on Totara Street in Mount Maunganui, where customers can watch the bread being made. The focus is slow-fermented sourdough built on an organic leaven, with a second cafe on 2nd Avenue in Tauranga for lunch and a loaf to take home.
Services
- Organic sourdough loaves, including multigrain, double raisin and black gold
- Gluten free, rye and spelt breads
- Sourdough pizza bases and German bretzels
- Bakery cafe with Allpress coffee, sandwiches and salads
- Online ordering with delivery across the North Island
Highlights
- Doughs fermented for between 8 and 24 hours
- No chemicals, additives or artificial flavours in its slow-rise breads
- Regular stall at the Tauranga Farmers’ Market on Saturdays
- Bread truck that visits retirement villages and neighbourhoods
Location & Contact
Name: Flaveur Breads
Address: 31 Totara Street, Mount Maunganui (cafe at 94 2nd Avenue, Tauranga)
Phone: 07 575 7161
Website: flaveur.co.nz
3Blomquists Bakery
Blomquists Bakery is a family bakery and cafe in Greerton Village, opened under the Blomquist name in 2010 by David and Sue Blomquist, whose family baking history in the Bay of Plenty goes back to a Katikati bakery in 1920. It suits locals after pies, celebration cakes and catering platters, with online ordering and local delivery.
Services
- Artisan bread, including 24 hour sourdough cobbs and pane di casa
- Pies, family pies, quiches and Turkish pockets
- Celebration and birthday cakes, including gluten free options
- Catering platters and boxed lunches
- Barista coffee and a takeaway lunch cabinet
Highlights
- Bakery of the Year 2018 gold award for panettone
- Bread made preservative free, and unsold bread donated to charity daily
- Local delivery from Pāpāmoa to Te Puna, plus nationwide courier on selected products
Location & Contact
Name: Blomquists Bakery
Address: 1289 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga
Phone: 07 571 5133
Website: blomquists.co.nz
4Kneed Artisan Bakery
Kneed is an artisan bakery and cafe in The Sands shopping centre at Pāpāmoa, open daily from early morning. It bakes its own bread alongside doughnuts, pies and pastries, and suits eastern suburbs locals looking for a loaf, a filled sandwich or breakfast on the way to the beach.
Services
- Sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia and baguettes
- Filled doughnuts, Danish pastries, tarts and scones
- Pies and sausage rolls
- Breakfast sandwiches and gourmet baguettes
Highlights
- Open seven days from 6.30am
- Online ordering available
- Allpress coffee and fresh smoothies
Location & Contact
Name: Kneed Artisan Bakery
Address: Shop 3, 54 Stevenson Drive, The Sands, Pāpāmoa
Phone: 021 285 6333
Website: kneedbakery.co.nz
5Rise Artisan Bakery
Rise Artisan Bakery is a family-run bakery and cafe on Golden Sands Drive in Pāpāmoa, baking everything onsite each day. It mixes traditional bakery favourites with handcrafted sourdough, and suits families after a pie or sweet treat as well as anyone planning catering for a work or family event.
Services
- Sourdough and grain breads, including a Lo-GI loaf
- Pies, family pies and sausage rolls
- Doughnuts, cakes and pastries
- Catering, celebration cakes and staff lunches
- Coffee, tea and smoothies
Highlights
- Local family business baking onsite every day
- Sourdough made with only flour, water and salt
- Open seven days from 6am
- Delivery available through Uber Eats
Location & Contact
Name: Rise Artisan Bakery
Address: 4 Golden Sands Drive, Pāpāmoa Beach, Tauranga
Phone: 021 077 5173
Website: riseartisanbakery.co.nz
Bakeries in Tauranga at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Breadhead | Sourdoughs made with around 25% organic wholemeal and whole rye flour |
| Flaveur Breads | Doughs fermented for between 8 and 24 hours |
| Blomquists Bakery | Bakery of the Year 2018 gold award for panettone |
| Kneed Artisan Bakery | Open seven days from 6.30am |
| Rise Artisan Bakery | Local family business baking onsite every day |
How to Choose the Right Bakery in Tauranga
- Bread style: decide whether you want naturally leavened sourdough, yeasted loaves such as ciabatta and focaccia, or everyday sandwich bread, as bakeries lean one way or another.
- Dietary needs: if you need gluten free, vegan or preservative free options, check the bakery’s own product list, and ask how gluten free items are handled if you have a strict requirement.
- Ordering and collection: popular loaves and specialty breads are often baked on set days, so order ahead for collection rather than relying on the counter late in the day.
- Cakes and catering: for birthdays, office morning teas and events, look for a bakery that publishes platters or celebration cakes and allow the stated lead time.
- Location and hours: bakeries open early and many close mid afternoon, so pick one on your route, whether that is the city centre, Greerton, Mount Maunganui or Pāpāmoa.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tauranga Bakeries
What makes sourdough different from ordinary bread?
Sourdough is raised with a natural leaven of wild yeasts and bacteria rather than commercial yeast, and the dough ferments slowly, often for 8 to 24 hours. The result is a chewier crust, a tangier flavour and a loaf that keeps longer. Many people also find it easier to digest than fast-risen supermarket bread.
Can I order bread or pastries ahead from a bakery in Tauranga?
Yes. Several Tauranga bakeries take online orders for next-day collection, and some specialty loaves are only baked on certain days of the week. Ordering the day before is the most reliable way to secure a particular sourdough or a larger quantity of pastries.
Which Tauranga bakeries are near Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa?
There are artisan bakeries on Totara Street in Mount Maunganui and at both Golden Sands Drive and The Sands shopping centre in Pāpāmoa. Closer to the city, you will find bakeries on St John Street and Willow Street in the city centre and in Greerton Village on Cameron Road.
Do bakeries in Tauranga offer gluten free options?
Some do, including gluten free loaves and gluten free celebration cakes made to order. Because most bakeries handle wheat flour on site, anyone with coeliac disease should ask how gluten free products are prepared before buying.
Can a bakery cater for a work morning tea or event?
Many Tauranga bakeries offer catering, from savoury and sweet platters to boxed lunches and celebration cakes. Lead times vary from 48 hours to two weeks depending on the order, so check with the bakery early for larger events.
How can I check a bakery’s food safety standards?
Food businesses in New Zealand operate under the Food Act 2014 and must be registered and verified. The Ministry for Primary Industries explains how food safety rules apply, and Tauranga City Council handles registration and verification for many local food businesses.
How should I store fresh bakery bread?
Wrap artisan loaves in a tea towel, cloth or paper bag rather than plastic to keep the crust crisp, and eat within a few days. For longer storage, slice the loaf and freeze it, then toast slices straight from the freezer.
How We Chose the Best Bakeries in Tauranga
Every business in this guide was found by searching for bakeries in Tauranga, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Tauranga, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.