Primrose Bakery on Gloucester Avenue: what to order and when to go

Open 09:00 to 17:00, seven days a week, cupcakes from £3.75, no booking needed. Primrose Bakery is at 69 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8LD, in Primrose Hill, in the borough of Camden. Check the hours before you set off, because older listings still show different times. The bakery's own site says 09:00 to 17:00 and says it shuts on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

What it is

A small cupcake shop with a long history for its size. According to the publisher Hachette, it was founded in October 2004 by Martha Swift and her then business partner Lisa Thomas. They began in their home kitchens, having baked for children’s parties and noticed that the grown-ups liked the cupcakes. Trade publication Bakery Info reports that the first shop opened in Primrose Hill in 2006, and that Thomas later left. Swift is now the sole owner, and Hachette says she works alongside her two daughters.

There were once branches in Covent Garden and Kensington. Both are marked as closed, so Gloucester Avenue is the one to head for.

The bakery has also produced cookbooks, starting with Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery. Hachette counts five bestsellers.

What to order

Cupcakes are the point. The bakery’s own site lists a long run of flavours, including carrot, chocolate, cinnamon, apple crumble, Crunchie, cookie dough, bubblegum and confetti. Butterfly is its take on a Victoria sponge, and Angel Slice is on the list too.

• For a July afternoon: the Aperol Spritz cupcake, an orange sponge soaked in Prosecco. Specials rotate, so check it is still there.
• For the safe bet: vanilla, chocolate or red velvet, the three that Uber Eats lists as popular.
• Free-from: the site has gluten-free, vegan and naturally sweetened bakes, including chocolate quinoa cake and cupcakes (free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar) and a flourless chocolate cake. The bakery warns that its kitchen handles gluten, dairy and nuts, so cross-contamination is possible. If that matters to you, ring ahead.
• Brownies: Deliveroo lists boxes of six assorted, with flavours including salted caramel and Malteser.

Time Out’s older listing also mentions biscuits, croissants and layer cakes, and describes the shop as tiny and retro in style. Treat the shop details as a guide and not a promise of the current counter.

What it costs

• Single cupcakes: £3.75 for carrot and chocolate, £3.95 for many specials, £4.25 for vanilla and other specials. Check the shop for current prices.
• Luxury gift box of six: £22.50. Themed boxes of six run from £23.95 to £24.95.
• Aperol Spritz celebration cake: £52.95.

Too Good To Go has also carried surprise bags of unsold cupcakes, cake slices and brownies. Contents vary by day.

Booking and ordering

The shop is walk-in. Tripadvisor lists seating, takeaway and delivery, though the shop is small, so do not plan a long sit. For pre-orders, phone 020 7483 4222 or use WhatsApp on 07599 666002. Online orders can be delivered in London or collected in store. It is also on Uber Eats and Deliveroo, and gift cards are sold.

One tip: some reviews complain of mix-ups on pre-orders, so confirm yours by phone. Tripadvisor shows 3.9 out of 5 from 111 reviews, and Yelp 4.1 from 40.

Getting there

The nearest station is Chalk Farm, according to Time Out, around 350 metres away by directory estimates. Street parking is listed on Tripadvisor.

For after: Primrose Hill itself

Take the box up the hill. Royal Parks says the summit has spectacular views across London. It is a Royal Park, Grade II listed and open to the public since 1842, just north of Regent’s Park.

Mind the clock: during British Summer Time the hill is locked from 22:00 to 06:00. The playground is open 10:00 to 19:30 in July, but check whether it has reopened after its improvement works.

If you want a pint or lunch instead, the Engineer is at 65 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JH, a few doors along. Londonist describes it as a food-focused gastropub with a good beer selection. Check its hours and prices before you go.

Bakery details: primrose-bakery.co.uk.