I Waited 2 Weeks for S0lo Bread and Left Without Bread

I had been following S0lo Bread since they were based in Birkenhead, and when their new store opened in New Ferry, I had to go.

Naturally, the weekend they opened, I got sick for two whole weeks. Two whole weeks of seeing post after post on Instagram, making me want to visit even more.

It was the equivalent of a siren call of baked goods.

So when I finally got the chance to visit, I hopped on the bus, walked through the door just after 11am and they had already sold out of a few things.

Feeling devastated, I urgently bought a black garlic and pecorino bun, an apricot brown butter cake and a poached pear custard + oat crumble pie.

That last one’s a mouthful.

With my baked goods in hand, I sat down in their limited seating area. It was a really lovely environment, calm and quiet, with just the occasional chatter as people came in and out carrying their own S0lo Bread goodies.

First was the risky pick, the black garlic and pecorino bun.

I opened the bag and was immediately hit by the strong scent of garlic, sweet molasses and that pungent pecorino aroma.

Vampires beware.

Biting into the fluffy bun, the pecorino came first with its salty, sharp flavour. Then I reached the black garlic centre and the sweet and savoury flavours combined into an absolute umami bomb.

It hit like a truck and honestly, it overwhelmed me. It was the kind of smell you can taste.

I still went back for another bite, partly because the black garlic became a little mellower as I ate it, but I couldn’t finish the whole thing.

I learnt that day that I’m probably not the biggest fan of black garlic.

But you can’t say it didn’t deliver exactly what it promised.

Next was the apricot brown butter cake. After the intensity of the black garlic bun, I found myself gravitating towards it. The shining apricot stared back at me like the Eye of Sauron, calling me in for a bite.

The exterior had been baked until the sugar caramelised, giving way to a pillowy sponge inside. The brown butter brought this deep, toasted richness before the apricot cut through it with a burst of bright fruity sweetness. This was my favourite one by far.

Now for the finale, the poached pear custard + oat crumble pie. Despite its rather elaborate name, it was much more subtle in flavour.

The crumble topping was caramelised and toasty, while the pear brought a gentle sweetness followed by the rich, creamy custard centre.

After the in-your-face black garlic and pecorino bun and the heavier apricot brown butter cake, this actually created a really pleasant sense of calm.

So I waited two weeks to finally try S0lo Bread and somehow managed to walk out of a bakery without any bread, but with a stomach full of baked goodies.

I suppose I’ve already given myself a reason to go back.