Breadhead

Carb lovers and enthusiasts of Tauranga, if you haven’t already acquainted yourselves with Breadhead then immediately add it to the top of your must-visit list. Located on St John Street, keep your eyes peeled for the shopfront adorned in greenery and step into freshly-baked bread and pastry heaven. Trust us, the aroma is intoxicating in the best way possible!

Breadhead’s pedigree speaks for itself as owners Brent and Kate Beamish’s first bakery was the beloved Love Rosie Bakery. They started Breadhead in 2018 when they found they were bursting at the seams at Love Rosie and wanted a space they could dedicate to Brent’s growing love of sourdough. The real winners from this decision… anyone who walks through Breadhead’s doors and samples a loaf.

What started as a tiny 4m x 4m walk-in/walk-out retail space expanded in 2023, with dine-in tables added, larger cabinets and the kitchen doubled in size. The space has been cleverly divided into the cafe and pastry room with a custom partition wall created by local Seaform Interiors, with the geometric cutouts resembling loaves of bread. A centrepiece of the interior design of the cafe is the bulbous 1920s lights originating from the Czech Republic and they help to define the seating area.

Of course, the real stars of the show at Breadhead are the breads and pastries they are so passionate about. There are a variety of sourdoughs and some flavours are certainly unique to Breadhead, with their miso tahini version being particularly excellent. You’ll find the cabinets laden with all kinds of sweet treats including an evolving range of seasonal fruit danish and brûlée tarts that are mouth-watering on sight alone. Rest assured there is no wrong choice when it comes to picking what to get and as with any good bakery, their coffee game is top-notch too.       

At the heart of it, Breadhead is a community bakery, a place where you can connect with friends and no matter what you order, you’re guaranteed to enjoy delicious bite after bite.