We sit down with the co-founder of Bunhead Bakery, a female-led favourite and FACT London Dining Awards winner 2025.
South London has never been short on great bakeries, but Bunhead Bakery has carved out its own niche. Tucked away in Herne Hill, the Palestinian-founded, female-led spot is best known for its fluffy sourdough buns often infused with Palestinian flavours. They’ve gained quite a reputation as one of the best bakeries in the city.
Co-owned by founder Sara Assad-Mannings and her business partner, Georgia Wickremeratne, Bunhead is rooted in heritage while remaining joyfully modern. Sara was born in London to a mother from Jericho and a father from North East England. Georgia brings her own mixed-race heritage to the table, with Jamaican and Sri Lankan roots. Together, they have built a bakery that reflects tradition and community.
“The experience Georgia and I share of being mixed-race is important to the bakery. People get confused that it says Palestinian on the shop front, but it isn’t all traditional food. I’m a mixed-race person, so the bakery is a culmination of two cultures. People often don’t understand what a mixed-race person’s experience might be and how they’d share that.”
That point is central to Bunhead’s appeal. Sara emphasises that “food isn’t stuck in one moment; it’s not stuck in tradition”, and Bunhead leans into that freedom with spontaneous menu shifts that regulars follow closely. Seasonal produce sourced in the UK plays a role, too, especially when it helps introduce Palestinian ingredients in an approachable way.
“It’s also important to remember we’re in the UK, so we use food sustainably with seasonal ingredients that we find here. The molokhia and wild garlic bun is the perfect culmination of that. Someone asked about that bun recently, and watching my staff easily explain it was special. It’s a good gateway for people to explore authentic Palestinian ingredients.”
The concept began during COVID, when Sara started baking buns in lockdown, selling through Instagram and personally delivering orders. “I was baking from my tiny flat, with a commercial mixer and a commercial oven at home, which in itself was a bakery. I put it on Instagram and was selling to people I knew, driving and delivering everything myself. All the way up until we opened the shop, I was doing everything - the markets and delivering to the coffee shops I supplied. It really picked up, and by the time I decided to open the bakery and find a shop, it was the sensible next step.”
For Sara, opening Bunhead is a long-held dream realised, and a quiet act of reclamation. “Sometimes I watch the bakery when we’ve done a shift, and everyone’s doing their thing, and I think it’s crazy! It hadn’t felt like such a big deal back then to just start baking buns and sending them to my friends.” She also speaks candidly about identity and visibility, and why the word on the shopfront matters. “As a kid, you internalise that there’s shame attached to your identity, so it’s a huge motivator for me to put ‘Palestinian’ on the shop front. When I was growing up, I don’t remember there being any place like this in a mainstream space - a popular spot that’s known amongst Arabs and non-Arabs alike.”
Step inside, and the warmth is immediate. The walls are lined with photographs of Palestine and art inspired by the region, while shelves spotlight products from Palestinian businesses and the wider Arab world, including shatta jam, hot sauce and Gaza Cola. Beyond the buns, the team continues to platform Palestinian culture through fundraising, collaborations and community-minded partnerships.
The next chapter is both personal and professional. Sara recently revealed she is expecting her first child, and her hopes feel beautifully aligned with the bakery’s purpose. “I’m really proud of where we are with Bunhead, it’s so nice to have a solid team onboard and to be able to branch out more. My biggest plan is to have my baby, and teach them about and raise them close to their heritage - that being Irish and Palestinian, a strong and proud blend. I hope to continue being a voice for our culture and heritage.”
Bunhead Bakery opens from Thursday to Sunday and closes once it sells out. Arrive early, come hungry, and consider it your cue to explore Palestinian flavours in one of London’s most welcoming neighbourhood bakeries.
GO: Visit www.bunheadbakery.com for more information.