Flour Water Salt

Established in 2009 by a husband and wife team, Flour Water Salt is a Macclesfield must. This indie bakery started life as a mobile operation, providing sourdough goodies at events and market days, before opening their current location on Market Place in 2018. Now located right in the thick of things with a handsomely outfitted hybrid bakehouse, cafe and kitchen, things are busier than ever.

Of course, the first question asked of any bakery is…what’s the bread like? You’ve got options here, from the acclaimed Cisco Sourdough, to the seeded Skandi Rye or humble French Baguette. You can pick up Batch Sourdough Rolls and Tinned White loaves for everyday eating, or sample some more some of the more adventurous focaccia and ciabattas with added parmesan, olives or confit garlic.

Beyond the bread, Flour Water Salt has trained baristas serving first rate coffee as well as breakfasts and light bites. It’s the selection of pastries and cakes that have helped cement its reputation though, with decadent, flakey pain au chocolat joined by sticky cinnamon buns and extravagant brownies.

what’s the bread like? You’ve got options here, from the acclaimed Cisco Sourdough, to the seeded Skandi Rye

Recent times have seen the addition of sourdough pizzas — and a takeaway service — made with fresh fior di latte mozzarella and juicy San Marzano tomatoes. Made with a soft base, these Napoli-style constructions come in veggie, vegan and carnivorous combinations made up with additional toppings such as roasted crown prince squash, air dried Monmouthshire ham and Taleggio cheese.

In addition to their Market Place operation, you can also find Flour Water Salt at Macclesfield’s Picturedrome food hall. As one of seven outlets at this foodie nirvana from the folks behind Manchester’s Mackie Mayor and Altrincham Market, FWS sits comfortably as a beacon of Macclesfield’s growing gastronomic credentials.