Firth & Payne

Firth & Payne are an unmissable bakery right in the middle of the Kirkgate market (well technically, middle of the opening section of the Kirkgate market). They have a wide variety of cakes a few of which are on display on their side cabinet with about 2 – 3 albums/​cake books full of choices. However, do not be fooled that this is all they can do. You can come up with their own ideas and ask them if they will be able to do it for you and I wont be surprised if they would do them. The best part is they do offer the option of making eggless cakes. We generally order the Black Forest Gâteau with fresh fruit and fresh cream instead of the icing version and its absolutely brilliant. Reasonably priced and a perfect symphony for your taste buds.
The owners of this place are absolutely brilliand and always have a smile on their face. They also have the bakery counter which has a selection of breads, rolls, sandwiches and so on and so forth. Definitely worth a visit if you havent been there before.

Firth & Payne’s market stall has a beautifully traditional design with ornate columns and a wooden counter and signage with gold painted lettering. It’s stalls like this that make a wander through the market such an enjoyable experience as you get a real sense of the history and character of the place.
The stall has a traditional bakery counter displaying bread rolls and tasty looking cakes — I’d definitely spend my pennies here rather than at the Greggs in the lower section of the market (rather cheeky I feel — opening a chain store, of which there are already more than ten in Leeds, in a market populated by independent retailers, many just getting by. And I’m sad to see market customers queuing in droves to get their Greggs pastry fix when they could support an independent bakery selling very affordable sandwiches and other baked goods a short walk away. Bracketed rant over.) They also have a range of pre-​packaged brand name bread — a little odd when they bake their own.
Their cake making display is a real treat to browse, with many a creatively-​iced cake that any kid would be overjoyed to see candle-​lit on their birthday. They also make wedding cakes with three working days notice. Great for a spontaneous wedding party, couples who haven’t been particularly organised or when previous wedding-​cake plans fall through. As Amelia mentioned, they offer egg-​free cakes, but do they do vegan? As they have considered those who don’t eat egg I think it likely they could stretch to include vegans… so it’d be worth asking if you’re looking for a vegan cake-​making service.

The display of cakes at this bakery is amazing! You can get a spiderman birthday cake, a new-​baby cake with a tiny decorative baby on the top, wedding cakes and a myriad of others that can be chosen from a special cake book on request. All cakes have to be ordered but can be made within three working days — pretty good if you consider the quality of decoration. There’s a sign saying that all cakes can be made eggless if required but does this mean they can also be made vegan? I’m not sure.
The plastic-​covered Warbotun loaves seem strangely placed next to these and the floury baps and loaves also on offer but I guess that’s what you find in a market like this — peculiar variety.

Representing the bakers of Leeds/​Kirkgate Market is Firth and Payne. They have a vast selection of bready goods to keep you happy, as well as cakes and other cretive treats. I went down to buy some bread rolls for a mini hog roast at the weekend, and what I came away with was superb. For a pittance, I bought 8 gloriously large white rolls, that everyone at dinner commented on. Put it like this, I had one the next day that had been left out overnight, and though it was stale by comparrison of its former self, but still softer than many of the pre packaged ones I have bought from the supermarket before.