St Helens bakery

If you're passing through the main street of St Helens, this bakery is the kind of old-school stop that covers a lot of ground: pies, pasties, salad rolls, sandwiches made to order, baked goods, and a sit-down breakfast with coffee. It's open from early most days, which suits anyone starting out before the day gets going.

The pies are what people come for. The scallop pie has a following, and the King Prawn and Scallop version in particular has locals and visitors alike going back for seconds. A word of warning from one early-morning visitor: the scallop pies can be gone by around eight, so don't leave it late. The curry seafood pie made a decent consolation prize. Pasties and meat pies turn up in plenty of conversations too, and the stuff coming out fresh from the oven is a big part of the appeal.

Beyond the pies, the menu is wider than you might expect. Chicken burgers on large rolls loaded with salad get a good word and are considered fair value, wraps can be heated through if you like them hot, and the breakfast side has plenty of fans, with one visitor calling the frittata exceptional. For something sweet, there's a cream and cinnamon apple slice, and a chocolate chip Nutella cookie that one local called the best they'd ever had.

They also take custom cake orders. One local ordered a celebration cake and a dozen cookies for a birthday and said it was received wonderfully, with the gluten free cookies an unexpected bonus. If you or anyone in your group has a serious allergy, though, speak directly with the staff and be clear about it when ordering, as one visitor's experience shows that's worth doing.

Opinion on the coffee is a little split, with the odd comment that it runs milky or weak, so it may come down to taste. Staff are widely described as friendly and welcoming, and there's plenty of seating inside and out, plus free parking and an accessible entrance. Takeaway and dine-in are both on offer, and it's worth checking the hours before you head in.