Wandering up to the hole-in-the-wall bakery shop of Grizzly Baked Goods will have you feeling like you’ve woken up in another city, somewhere like San Francisco or Berlin. Not that this small city of ours doesn’t compare, but you’ll know what I mean once you visit this gem. Effortlessly cool with a friendly and inviting vibe, the shop front has been tastefully painted in two-tone colour with hand painted typography under the window the icing on the cake.

Poke your nose in and you’ll find a selection of their delicious pastries on show under a pristine glass cabinet. There’s the famous doughnuts, the incredible Lemon poppy morning bun (without a lie the best pastry I’ve ever had), croissants, pain au chocolat, the double chocolate rye cookies that fly out the door (make sure you get in early to get your hands on some of these), and the list goes on. Pair your pastry of choice with the tasty filter coffee brewed from Sailor’s Son beans, take a seat on the sunny tables out front and you are in for a really good time.

Behind all the sweet goodness stands the bread rack filled with Grizzly’s selection of sourdoughs and bagels, bread made the way it should be. There’s no nasties used here, as all the bread is sourdough, helping it stay good for longer (but good luck with trying not to demolish a loaf in one sitting).

The story of Grizzly Baked Goods began half by accident. Baker Sam Ellis began selling his bagels at the Christchurch Farmers Market (where you’ll still find Grizzly on Saturdays) as a hobby, and quickly grew a following. A few years later, the bakery is in full swing, he has a ten strong staff and the business is continuously growing. The success story is really no surprise, as it can easily be said that Grizzly Baked Goods is by far one of the best bakeries in town.