The Henley Bread Chest

Where to find your regular supply of fresh-baked sourdough?

Cut out the chain bakeries and supermarkets to enjoy super-fresh, locally and sustainably-made, baked produce by visiting the Henley Bread Chest. The chest is situated at 21 Boston Road, Henley-on-Thames. It is open 8am-7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and is re-stocked with produce – eg fresh-baked sourdough loaves, croissants, almond tarts and quiches on Tuesdays and Fridays by 8am. There is a contactless payment device inside the chest. Any questions just ring the door bell or call. To order ahead or subscribe just leave your message and details here. Alternatively, just rock up and see what’s there.

Sourdough and more!

If you live in or around Boston Road, Henley-on-Thames why not sign up for a regular supply of healthy, sustainable, fresh-baked sourdough? Come visit the chest any day of the week, but to get the freshest produce, come on a Friday or Tuesday from 8am – and ‘swipe’ the sourdough loaf, pastry and other products of your choosing. The Chest is open until 7pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on most other days too. Pre-orders welcome (just leave details here), as are ad hoc purchases if you happen to be passing.

Towards the end of 2024 we teamed up with Wild Frog Bakehouse such that on Fridays and over the weekend we now offer, as well as our usual sourdough fare, fresh-baked, French butter croissants, pains aux raisins, and pains au chocolat, all made with T45 French flour. We intend to expand this offering during the course of 2025. If you have any special requests just let us know…

As a reminder about why our bread is different: we use only natural ingredients,- eg organic or regeneratively-farmed flours, no additives other than Himalayan rock salt, following a time-honoured (c3000-year-old), slow fermentation process which breaks down the ingredients fully, so as to maximise taste, nutrition value, and digestibility. Unlike most other bakers in the UK, the only bread we make is sourdough. Don’t settle for anything less. Your gut will thank you.

Just come and swipe. if it’s your first visit and are unsure how to operate the machine, just ring the doorbell or message me. That said, all you do is touch the photo(s) of the loaf(ves) you want, confirm the amount a few times, then SWIPE with your phone or card, until you hear a bleep.

We bake on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1am, and each bake requires at least a day’s preparation, hence the preference to get orders in well in advance. It also helps us to plan production efficiently and to minimise wastage. Customer feedback suggests that our bread keeps well at room temperature especially if kept in a cotton bag, and freezes well.