Botham’s Whitby bakery famous for its Yorkshire bakes

Botham’s of Whitby, founded in 1865 by Elizabeth Botham, has become one of the town’s best-known businesses, with generations of visitors making a stop there part of any trip to the North Yorkshire coast.

The family-run bakery began when Elizabeth sold bread and cakes from a basket at Whitby market before eventually opening on Skinner Street, where the business still operates today.

Botham’s of Whitby on Skinner Street (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

Now run by the fifth generation of the Botham family, the bakery has built a reputation for traditional Yorkshire baking alongside sweet treats strongly connected to Whitby and the surrounding region.

Among its best-known products are Whitby Lemon Buns, lightly fruited teacakes topped with lemon icing that have been made for more than a century.

The buns have become so associated with Whitby that many visitors see trying one as essential during a trip to the seaside town.

One long-running debate even centres around how they should be eaten, with some insisting they should be sliced and buttered before being turned inside out like a sandwich.

Celebrity chef James Martin has previously aired his own views on the subject.

The bakery is also known for Yorkshire Brack, Shah Ginger Biscuits and its Chocolate Japonaise cakes.

Many of the bakes are inspired by Whitby’s heritage and maritime history.

Botham’s house blend Resolution Tea takes its name from HMS Resolution, the ship commanded by Captain James Cook during his Pacific voyages, while products such as Captain Cookies and Cobbled Road cakes draw inspiration from Whitby’s cobbled streets and seafaring connections.

Though steeped in tradition, Botham’s has continued to evolve over the years.

What started as a small market bakery now includes several shops and tea rooms across Whitby, Pickering and Sleights, as well as a nationwide mail-order business supplying Yorkshire hampers and baked goods across the UK.

The bakery’s original Skinner Street shop remains particularly popular with tourists and locals alike.

It currently holds a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor from more than 1,100 reviews, with visitors regularly praising the bakery’s fresh bread, cakes, sandwiches and traditional tea room experience.

One visitor wrote: “A visit here is of course when we are in Whitby.”

Another described the bakery as “a must during a visit to Whitby,” while others praised its “friendly service,” “excellent coffee”, and “scones to die for.”

Many reviews also mention the bakery’s famous lemon buns, with one customer calling them “high up on any Whitby itinerary.”

As well as attracting tourists, Botham’s remains closely tied to the local community and Yorkshire traditions.

The company continues to work with Yorkshire suppliers and still produces many traditional regional favourites, including Yorkshire Curd Tarts, Simnel Cakes and seasonal fruit loaves.

For many visitors, Botham’s represents more than just a bakery.

It has become part of the Whitby experience itself, a business rooted in the town’s history, where generations of families have continued baking recipes linked to Yorkshire’s coastal heritage for more than a century and a half.