Phew, what a whirlwind few months it’s been since our wonderful stay at The Old Bakery in Bude.  Summer came and went; the start of the new academic year brought with it a whole heap of changes for us as a family; and we’re now in the depths of a colourful Autumn with the festive season beginning to sparkle and glimmer on the horizon.

(Confession: my girls have been playing Christmas music since the start of November and whilst I would normally be a bit bah-humbug about it I’ve decided that I don’t want to get in the way of the joy it brings them, so now we listen to Mariah Carey, Michael Buble and Wham every single day at breakfast-time.  Because why not?)

Anyway, I’ve been wanting to write this updated review of The Old Bakery in Bude ever since our holiday there all the way back in July and somehow I haven’t been able to create the time to do it… until now.

The Old Bakery

We first stayed at The Old Bakery in April 2021, just after the final lockdown of the pandemic lifted.  Back then The Old Bakery was a Beach Retreats property, which then got sold just a few months after our stay.  I was really quite gutted as we’d fallen a little bit in love with the place and had hoped to go and stay again one day.

Then, last year, the new owners of The Old Bakery contacted me out of the blue to say that they’d bought the property based off the original review I’d written and that they’d been hard at work ever since, making all of the improvements I suggested in my blog along with plenty of other subtle alterations.  They offered us a discounted stay in exchange for an updated and honest review of the changes they’d put into place.  Of course I jumped at the chance and said a wholehearted, enthusiastic and very grateful “yes please!” at this unexpected opportunity to stay at this beautiful holiday accommodation in Bude, which will forever be our happy place.

We made our way down to The Old Bakery in Bude at the start of the summer holidays, excited for what new memories we’d make and anticipating the adventures we were hoping to have.

Exploring one of the beaches in Bude and making new memories every single day of our visit

Location

Obviously the location of The Old Bakery hasn’t changed, but it’s in such a prime position within the town (whilst being discreetly tucked away so you still get privacy and peace & quiet) that it’s worth mentioning again.

It’s a short two-minute walk across Nanny Moore’s Bridge to the heart of Bude’s bustling centre; a five minute stroll from beautiful Summerleaze Beach; and an ideal base for whatever kind of holiday you want to have, whether that’s exploring other pretty Cornish villages along the spectacular North Cornwall coastline, or keeping it simple by staying local and taking advantage of everything that Bude itself has to offer.

The entrance to The Old Bakery is discreetly tucked away whilst still being easy to find for those who are new to the town. The attached garage is a brilliant advantage to the property – parking is hard to come by in Bude!

First (Second) Impressions of The Old Bakery

The moment we stepped through the front door of The Old Bakery after a VERY wild, wet and windy journey down to Cornwall from where we live in the Midlands, it felt like a home away from home.  That’s one of the first things I try and notice whenever we stay in any kind of holiday accommodation, and one of my two joint-top criteria for being willing to recommend a place to others.

Even if we hadn’t stayed there before I’m certain that I would have felt it.  The whole space just seemed incredibly welcoming.  It was also spotlessly clean – the other thing I instantly check on arrival, and my equally vital, non-negotiable key factor whenever I/we stay somewhere.

I’d made several suggestions for improvements after our first stay, and, as we walked through, I could tell that they’d genuinely taken my comments on board and a lot of the little details – the differences that really make the difference – had been actioned, which greatly impressed me.

The welcoming entrance hallway of The Old Bakery – bedrooms and bathrooms are through the door on the left and the living area is up the stairs. The hooks on the right hand side are perfect for hanging up soggy coats if the weather is a bit iffy, and there are trays underneath the bench for storing sandy flipflops after a day at the beach

Layout

The new owners have kept the layout of The Old Bakery exactly as it was, which I’m glad about.  It’s an upside-down arrangement, with the bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs and the living space on the top floor, and it really works to make the most of the property’s location and stunning views across the sand dunes to Summerleaze Beach.  It’s particularly special at sunset.

It’s a little bit like the Tardis – much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside!  It’s spacious enough for eight people to comfortably spread out and each have their own space, whilst still contained enough to feel connected to each other.

Sunset from the lounge window – it’s a pretty special show every night

Ground Floor

The ground floor of The Old Bakery is ‘L-shaped’ and contains: four bedrooms (each sleeping two people, one with an ensuite bathroom attached); a snug; a family bathroom; and a shower room.  It’s deceptively large compared to what you might imagine when you first see the outside of the property and honestly, I’m still not entirely sure how all of those rooms – all of which are a substantial size – actually fit!  But they do and it works really well.  There is lots of natural light thanks to skylights, the clean and simple decor and the large windows.  There is also access to the astro-turfed outside area which is a little suntrap during the summer months.

Double Bedroom #1

Double bedroom #1 (the doorway to the ensuite is on the right hand side of the image)

Double bedroom #1: the mattress, pillows and bedding are ridiculously comfortable

Double bedroom #1: The solid bedframe is new and really makes a difference to the look and feel of the room

Ensuite

Ensuite to double bedroom 1: a newly installed over-bath shower made SUCH a difference (previously there was no shower in here at all)

Double Bedroom #2

Double bedroom 2: also has wardrobes and a full length mirror

Family Bathroom

Family bathroom: with an over-bath shower, also newly installed

Twin Bedroom

Twin bedroom: is bigger than it looks here in the photo!

Twin bedroom: also contains a wardrobe

Shower Room

Shower room: Separate to all of the other bathrooms. This was originally the only shower in the property and now there are three in total. This one is my favourite though 🙂 I love the waterfall showerhead, the natural light from a skylight above and pretty floor tiles.

Bunk Bed Room

Bunk bed room: the smallest bedroom but plenty big enough for my 13 year old daughter on her own, or for two smaller kiddos excited to share.

The Snug

The Snug: You can’t see it in the photo, but there is a huge TV on the sideboard on the left hand side. Perfect for teens to hang out away from the grown ups upstairs, or for a family movie night

Top Floor

The top floor is the star of the show for me.  It’s rectangular in shape and consists of an open-plan living room, kitchen and dining area, plus a small utility room containing a washing machine, toilet and handwashing sink.  There is also access to a decked upstairs outdoor space, complete with a barbeque and table & chairs.

The entire arrangement works superbly, with the large lounge window offering the full advantage of the spectacular view across the bowling green to Summerleaze sand dunes and beyond – perfect for sunset lovers like myself.  This upstairs space is the thing that sold me on the property in the first place and it’s still one of my favourite things about staying at The Old Bakery.

The open-plan kitchen and dining area. The door to the utility room/toilet can be seen at the far end of the kitchen on the left hand side of the photo.

Facing the opposite direction, the lounge area with log burner, access to the upstairs outside space and spectacular views across the bowling green towards the sand dunes.

Useful Things To Know About The Old Bakery

The Old Bakery sleeps eight people in total, so it is an ideal holiday accommodation option in Bude for large families, multi-generational family trips, two smaller families holidaying together, groups of friends spending time together and so much more.

It’s also dog-friendly.  Up to two dogs are permitted and I believe there is a small additional fee for this.  We don’t have a dog (despite constant begging from two out of three of my girls that we get one!) so I can’t comment on what facilities would be provided for them but I’m sure they would be expertly catered for, just as us humans are.

Baby equipment is also available for smaller and younger guests.  There is a high chair and travel cot provided, along with plenty of plastic cups, plates, bowls and cutlery.  If you have more than one tiny person accompanying you and need to bring your own extra travel cots , there is plenty of space in all the bedrooms (except the bunk room) to set them up.

Parking spaces are like gold dust in Bude – free and paid for, especially during the peak holiday seasons – so having the garage is a huge plus point of the property.  There is also now an EV charger in the garage so if you have an electric or hybrid car you’ll be able to charge it with ease during your stay.

There is a log burner in the lounge.  We’ve never used it, but full instructions are provided and I have a feeling it would be incredibly cosy to snuggle up on the sofa in front of the fire if you stayed during the cooler autumn/winter months or over the festive season.

The lounge area with the log burner – perfect for cosy nights in!

Suggested Improvements

The new owners have been very clear that The Old Bakery is a labour of love and an ongoing work in progress – they are constantly looking for little things they can continue to tweak and improve here and there to add comfort and delight to guests’ experiences.  They actively asked me for honest feedback and a list of ideas.  This is what I sent them following our stay:

Small suggestions for improvements at The Old Bakery:

• Provide two sets of house and garage keys instead of just one set.  This would mean that a larger number of guests / families with older teens / two families / groups of friends staying together can go out and about and do separate things without needing to co-ordinate who has the key!
• Make a printed master copy of the handbook available in the property.  The digital copy that gets emailed out to guests upon booking is brilliant and very informative, sometimes it’s just quicker, easier and more personal to have something to flip through on-hand too.
• A way to recycle food waste?  We love that cardboard, plastic, glass etc can be recycled – food composting would be an added bonus to reduce waste even further.
• Provide kitchen surface cleaning spray!  It was the only thing still missing out of all of the assortment of cleaning products now provided.  This is a bit of a bug-bear of mine – I always wipe surfaces down at home, but whenever we go away anywhere I can only use water (which doesn’t get rid of germs or spillages properly on it’s own) because antibacterial spray is never provided.  I always end up having to buy some and it drives me a little bit crazy!  Make it an eco-friendly brand for extra bonus points.
• Supply more toilet paper – two rolls per bathroom as an absolute minimum instead of one.  And DEFINITELY more teabags!
• The front of the property outside could maybe be made a little prettier – a hanging basket or a window box, plus the name ‘The Old Bakery’ on display so it’s easier for guests to find.
• The snug has a great, cosy, teen-vibe, however it’s decor isn’t in keeping with the rest of the house.  It feels like the odd room out and I think if it was decorated in a similar way to the rest of the house (lighter paint with pastels or pops of colour) it would look better.  It can still be made comfy and inviting with textures and soft lighting.  The sofa in there is quite tired too and could maybe do with being replaced or reupholstered.
• Have a mirror in every bedroom – the bunk room and twin room don’t have one (unless it was hidden on an inside door in the wardrobe in the twin room and we just didn’t see it).
• Lola (our touchy-feely-sensory youngest daughter) requested more snuggly blankets please – whole piles of them!  Oh, and bigger towels.
• My husband suggested perhaps installing some kind of music system for playing Spotify or iTunes via bluetooth.  Perhaps an Alexa (or similar).  And requested that pint glasses are also made available please.

One of my suggestions in my original review was to improve the welcome pack on arrival – the new owners really outdid themselves! Fresh eggs, bread and yummy biscuits, plus pretty flowers on the dining table made us feel really valued as guests

Things We Loved About The Old Bakery in Bude

There is SO much to love about The Old Bakery!  The new owners really did take on board everything I mentioned in my original review.  These are all the plus points, positives and improvements made since we first visited:

• There is now hand soap by all the sinks.
• Foil/cling film and extra cooking and cleaning equipment in the kitchen.
• A shower in every bathroom!  This made a huge difference to our stay logistically – with three teenage daughters to cater for, multiple showers are a definite necessity.
• Disney+ and Netflix on both of the Smart TVs (lounge and snug) so there are now plenty of options for things to watch on rainy days.
• The subtle shift in decor – pastel cushions on the beds, lots of texture etc made it feel very calming and peaceful.
• An improved welcome pack of bread and eggs and biscuits, plus fresh flowers on the table, was a really lovely surprise.
• The new artwork is gorgeous – we really like that you’re choosing local scenes, showcasing and supporting local artists and incorporating the history of the building.
• The garden is much more aesthetically pleasing with the artificial grass rather than the slate tiles that were there before.  It’s so much better for families with younger children or dogs, or those who simply prefer the beach way of life and walk around barefoot a lot.
• Electric car charging port – we think this is an excellent new addition.

All of these things were the difference that made the difference this time around.

Fresh flowers and an improved welcome pack on the dining table – little details like that are the difference that makes the difference to how special a place feels

The new owners have plenty more ideas for The Old Bakery too.  They’re planning to build some custom bunk beds in the bunk bed room and have several options for the theme they’re going to choose to decorate it with.  They did a poll in their Instagram stories and I have no idea what the outcome of that was so it’ll be interesting to see what got voted in!

They’re also going to spend the winter season re-vamping the garage and the upstairs outdoor decking area, adding a pergola and some extra lighting.  And I’ve put in a personal request for a hammock – I think the downstairs garden would be the perfect spot for one so that guests can relax with a book in the sunshine.

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They also own another property in Bude – The Pink House – which is located near to Crooklets Beach.  It sleeps sixteen people in total and looks absolutely incredible – from the stylish interior decor, to the light and space, to the yoga loft!  I’m desperate to go and stay there – I think it would be an entirely different kind of trip.  It would be perfect for several groups of friends or families to all stay together.

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Please note: We were given a discount on our stay at The Old Bakery, which we paid for ourselves, in exchange for a full an honest review.  All thoughts, images, feelings, words, ideas and opinions are my own.  We genuinely loved our time at The Old Bakery and I would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a family friendly stay in Bude at any time of year.