Pollen Bakery in Ancoats named Independent Food Producer of the Year

It has been a good year for Pollen Bakery. The Ancoats bakery was named Independent Food Producer of the Year at the 2026 Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards, one of the most closely watched nights in the city's hospitality calendar.

The ceremony took place on 26 January 2026 at New Century, with 18 categories and 130 nominees from across the region. Pollen shared the spotlight with some familiar names. Tom Barnes's Michelin-starred Skof took Restaurant of the Year, Stow was named Newcomer of the Year and Stretford Canteen won Best Neighbourhood Venue, while Stockport was crowned Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year.

Pollen's story is a very Manchester one. The bakery started out in a railway arch, building a following for its bread and pastries before outgrowing the space. In 2018 it moved to larger, light-filled premises at Cotton Field Wharf in Ancoats, beside New Islington Marina, and that site remains the original home of the business.

Demand kept growing, and in 2022 Pollen opened a second cafe at Kampus, the garden neighbourhood close to the city centre. Plans for the 2,600 square foot ground-floor unit set out an open pastry kitchen, an expanded brunch menu and space for workshops and supper clubs, with seating both indoors and outside overlooking the Kampus garden.

The national guides have noticed too. The Good Food Guide includes Pollen in its Britain's 50 Best Bakeries 2026 listing, where it says few spots in Manchester can match the joy of a sunny Saturday morning at Pollen, particularly at the Ancoats site that started it all.

The Independent Food Producer title matters because it recognises the making as much as the serving. It puts a bakery alongside the region's restaurants, bars and chefs, and it reflects the steady work of turning out bread and pastries day after day for regulars and visitors alike.

For anyone who has queued at the counter on a weekend morning, the award will not come as a surprise. For those yet to visit, the marina-side cafe in Ancoats and the garden setting at Kampus give two good reasons to start.

The next Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards are due to take place on Monday 25 January 2027, when a new set of winners will be named. Until then, Pollen can enjoy its place among the city's best.