Pink Lane Bakery – Newcastle

It's my birthday on Friday and all I can think about is Milk Bar's Birthday cake. I watched Christina Tosi's Chef's Table episode this morning while I got ready to go out and if anyone is yet to walk into my life and instantly be my best friend, it's her. "Life's too short to worry about how many cookies you ate today" – isn't that the soundest advice you've ever heard? And it's exactly what I'm repeating to myself as I bite into my second brown butter compost cookie of the day (warm out of the oven with a glass of cold milk, obvs).

If, like me, you have to have something sweet and salty and beige and buttery and delicious every single day of your life, get yourself to Pink Lane Bakery. It's a little closer than Milk Bar (I have a thing with outrageously out of reach New York-based bakeries, it seems) and it's pink, so obviously you have to go even if just for the gram. Oh and! They serve up their own version of Tosi's crack pie which... I still have not tried. But it's my birthday on Friday.

Being in Newcastle, Pink Lane proudly puts its own stamp on traditional. I tried their cheese and potato pasty and it was nap-inducing delicious. Lots of cheese! Lovely red onions! Not too many potatoes! Perfect.

Aside from all the baked goods, my favourite thing about Pink Lane, which is something a lot of places have adopted lately, is the bakery is just a few feet behind the counter where you order. There's something quite fun about seeing what goes on behind the scenes as you buy your morning coffee and bite into a still-warm pain au chocolat.

Pink Lane Bakery, based in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, is open Monday-Saturday 8am-4pm. Follow them on Instagram @pinklanebakery or check out their Facebook page here.

Kiln – Newcastle

Can anything make the emotional slog of a 9-hour train journey (make that five train journeys) better? I didn't think so, but train rage has a way of leaving my body as soon as I reach my destination, no matter how many delays, run-over cows (yes, really) and cancellations. Plus, the promise of a decent breakfast the following morning was enough to wipe the trauma from my mind completely. I was visiting my brother and his girlfriend in Gateshead a few weeks ago, determined to get away; a nice little break from Wales and a nosy to see what the North East brunch scene had to offer.

Bar, cafe and pottery, Kiln is everything I love all in one. Their brunch menu is perfection – simple dishes that are clearly made with love. I had the eggy in the hole (cute!) which consisted of two poached eggs in a huge square of focaccia (my favourite), tomatoes, mushrooms and aioli, served up on one of their gorgeous handmade plates, which you can even buy to take home. It was delish and I was sold.

I loved Kiln so much I almost – almost – considered applying for the full-time position advertised outside... however, I'm trying this new thing where I don't rush into big changes, but that's a topic for another blog post.

There is loads more to find out about Kiln (and a couple of menus to pore over) on their site, which you must check out as it is absolutely beautiful. Obviously, pay them a visit too if you're in the area; I can't wait to go back!