The B Bakery Story
Before we delve into the day, let’s talk first about the incredible organisation behind the tea. In 2010, Brigit, Phillipe and Cedric Bloch founded BB Bakery, with their first Salon de The opening next to the London Eye in County Hall. Specialising in French patisserie, the bakery quickly became popular with both locals and tourists.
As the business continued to expand, the family came upon the idea of serving their afternoon tea onboard buses in 2014. With a purchase of a Routemaster, the idea became a reality and an immediate success. In 2016, BB Bakery went through a rebranding process to become the more succinct B Bakery. With an increasing social media presence and exploration of opportunities to broaden into new areas, the future is certainly looking bright for the bakery.
The Day
The Bus
This isn’t a hop on, hop off service - guests are picked up and dropped off at the same designated point of No8 Northumberland Avenue, right off Trafalgar Square (WC2N SBY) by the Grand Hotel. It’s advisable to be there 10-20 minutes before boarding as the bus cannot wait and this gives plenty of time to board and get settled.
On arrival, we were warmly welcomed onto the red, double-decker bus, emblazoned with images of Paddington Bear. The team directed us to the top deck, where tiers of sweet and savoury treats awaited us on gingham picnic tables. Each table has a special built-in screen where you can watch a Paddington-guided animation of the tour of London. Paddington and Mrs. Bird tells us about some of London’s most famous landmarks including Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey to name just a few.
The Menu
Once the bus departed, it was time to tuck into the array of tantalising treats that lay before us. The team asked us what hot drink we would like from an extensive selection of choices including Americano, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato and Hot Chocolate as well as various tea infusions. The hot drinks were also served in bespoke Paddington travel cups, which we could take home as a memento of our day.
On the savoury side of things, there were mini pizzas, smoked salmon and cucumber pretzels, turkey ham and cheddar sandwiches as well as cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches. Our sweet tooth's were more than satisfied with rice pudding studded with chocolate honeycomb, chocolate cupcakes adorned with Paddington’s paws, lemon meringue tarts, chocolate macarons and freshly baked scones with cream and jam. Arguably the piece de resistance was a glittery shortbread designed to look like a nibbled marmalade sandwich. The Paddington menu itself may vary so it’s worth checking at the time of booking for any changes.
There’s also vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and halal options available, meaning no one has to miss out. Luckily, just before the tour culminated, we were offered takeaway boxes so no food had to go to waste and we could continue enjoying the generous helping of treats later.
The Tour
The Paddington bus tour departs from Trafalgar Square. The tour really does offer a comprehensive insight into London life with particular highlights including:
- Big Ben
- The Houses of Parliament
- Westminster Abbey
- Hyde Park
- Nelson’s Column
- Downing Street
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Borough Market
- Green Park
- Piccadilly Circus
It’s worth noting that there’s no toilets on board and no public toilets in the vicinity of the designated pick-up and drop-off point. This is largely the reason why B Bakery suggest the tour is only appropriate for ages 5+. The tour itself is scheduled to last around 1 hour 45 minutes but naturally this depends on the level of traffic.
Summary
On reflection, the 1 hour 45 minute tour was enough time to really get to see Central London's main sights as well as have enough time to tuck into the treats without feeling rushed. Unlike many other tours in the capital, the commentary on B Bakery is very unobtrusive and there’s a musical backdrop that still allows you to hold a conversation. You get a truly mouth-watering selection of food, a tour of London that if done by walking would probably kill your feet and staff that really can’t do enough for you. Whether it’s a special occasion or just a day out with a difference, you really can’t go wrong with B Bakery’s Paddington Afternoon Tea.
