REVIEW: We tried the new Wenzel’s on the A40 London Road, Wycombe

Opening its doors for the first time, the bakery was bustling at just before 9am with curious clientele drawn to the strong coffee and good grub on offer on a cold, grey  morning.

This was my first Wenzel’s experience – I had heard good things about the outlet in High Wycombe’s Eden Centre, and my first impression, casting eyes on the “all hot drinks 99p today” poster near the door, was a good one.

READ MORE: New Wenzel's bakery in Wycombe is now OPEN

Wenzel's bakery in London Road, High Wycombe, opened its doors for the first time today

A quick look around the shop revealed few surprises. Wenzel’s is an independent chain of bakeries, and I could see a broad selection of baked goods on offer.

At the till were the hot, fresh items, like croissants, pasties, sausage rolls, and sweet cakes, while further inside were an array of packaged items, like mince pies, boxes of donuts, and other things of that nature.

The order was neatly packaged by the cashier

Noticing a queue beginning to form and grow, I picked up a packet of donuts and headed to the counter, where I ordered a hot sausage bap and a black Americano – with the bill coming out at £5.09.

Both items arrived almost instantly, and my cashier bagged them up and sent me on my way. I took a seat at one of the three tables inside and started tucking in.

The hot sausage bap was better than expected

Costing just £2.20, I was not expecting an awful lot from the sausage bap, but it exceeded my expectations. The sausages were warm and there were plenty of them. The bread was soft and fresh, and the butter and ketchup were used neither sparingly nor lavishly – it was just right.

Sat down at my table, I had a better chance to look around the place. The small queue I had just been standing in was growing and starting to snake out of the door – always an encouraging sign on the first day of trade.

Some of the items on display inside the bakery

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Customers were perusing the fresh bread loaves on display, which all looked tempting, and others were looking at the generously stuffed baguettes in a refrigerated cabinet, all of which looked like a more-than-viable lunch option.

Making light work of the bap – I turned to my coffee, which was tasty, bitter, and sharpened my senses in a good sort of way. Not the best coffee I've had in my life, but not to be sniffed at for 99p. The usual price of £2.20 for the machine-made beverage seems a little less appealing, but that’s just what a hot drink costs pretty much anywhere in this town.

It's hard to go wrong with a black coffee

The only disappointment, really, was the lack of pastries on offer. From what I could see, the entire range included a plain croissant and some ham and cheese inside a plain croissant. I would expect better from a bakery when I could pick up an almond croissant, chocolate croissant, pain au chocolat and more from a Sainsbury’s Local. In fact, neighbouring establishment Lidl is an underrated prince of warm baked goods, and it’s not a good look for an indie bakery to be outshone by a discount supermarket.

But nitpicking aside, this was a strong, serviceable, if a little predictable visit to a well-run bakery. My personal highlight was the donuts, which I resisted the urge to eat with my breakfast and am now enjoying at my desk while I write this review. Their sugary, fluffy goodness is something I can definitely see myself returning for.

The donuts were the highlight - they looked a lot better in person

It would have been nice to see something a little different – maybe fresh bagels or more adventurous pastries – but it would be unfair to say that Wenzels is just Greggs with orange aprons. It is certainly a notch or two above.

According to the receipt, I was the 25th ever customer

Get down there today if you can to make the most of the 99p drinks offer, and know that if you enjoy bread, cakes, and coffee, you are in safe hands.

The Verdict: 4/5