Our Patisseries

As Mark and Emma’s first shop, Penn Hill will always be close to their hearts. When Penn Hill first opened, Mark’s intention was to continue working for his family’s bakery business, whilst operating Penn Hill as more of a hobby to bring his innovative bakes to life. Mark would finish his long shifts at Bennett’s Family Bakers and then stay on out of hours to bake all of the goods for Patisserie Mark Bennett. The Penn Hill shop became an instant success and Mark soon realised that he would need to take a leap of faith and leave the family business to set up his own bakery for PMB.

Then there was Lilliput – Mark’s first bakery of his own. Open 7 days a week. With a Belgium-inspired bespoke design and fit-out for the shop, including a beautiful, leathered granite fridge and weathered oak woodwork, this became the theme for all new shops, and refurbishments of the original shops.

Whilst the bakery at Lilliput was in operation, the bakery team grew from a modest three bakers to a team of six, which included two of Mark’s most loyal employees, Andy Hayman and Alan Matthews, who previously worked with Mark at Bennett’s Family Bakers. With the need to upsize (see The Bakehouse below), the old bakery at Lilliput has now been converted into a cosy additional seating area, which is perfect for large, exclusive hires or more intimate private gatherings.