The Apple Pie
The Apple Pie is a family-run cafe, on-site bakery, and boutique accommodation business in Ambleside, Lake District (UK), serving walk-in customers and overnight guests via an 8-bedroom B&B, 4 loft rooms, and 3 self-catering cottages in Grasmere.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersAmbleside, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Apple Pie does
The Apple Pie is a family-run cafe, bakery, and hospitality business operating from a heritage premises in Ambleside in the English Lake District. The company was founded in 1975 and is now entering third-generation family ownership, with founder David Fielding's retirement planned for 2025. Operations center on an on-site bakery and a sit-in cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea to walk-in customers, supplemented by a retail bakery counter selling bread, cakes, pastries, and a broadened SKU range that now includes sourdough, gluten-free items, and doughnuts.
The business operates four accommodation product lines from two Lake District locations. In Ambleside, it runs "Rooms @ The Apple Pie," an 8-bedroom boutique bed-and-breakfast, and four additional "Apple Loft Rooms" above the cafe, totaling 12 letting bedrooms on the main site. In Grasmere, a neighboring village, the company operates three self-catering cottages sleeping up to 14 guests in aggregate. Reservations are taken through the freetobook booking platform; there is no proprietary technology stack, and the company has no external funding.
Revenue is generated through in-person cafe covers, takeaway bakery sales, overnight B&B/loft room bookings, and self-catering cottage rentals, all priced at consumer retail rates with no enterprise or wholesale channel disclosed. The workforce stands at approximately 50 staff across bakery production, front-of-house service, and accommodation housekeeping. The business has accumulated multiple hospitality awards in 2023–2024, including recognition for its bakery craft, and is currently hiring across functions, signaling near-term operational scaling.
The Apple Pie firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Apple Pie
- Legal name
- The Apple Pie Eating House and Bakery Ltd
- Website
- https://applepieambleside.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Apple Pie is a family-run cafe, on-site bakery, and boutique accommodation business in Ambleside, Lake District (UK), serving walk-in customers and overnight guests via an 8-bedroom B&B, 4 loft rooms, and 3 self-catering cottages in Grasmere.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Apple Pie industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bakery and Hospitality Services
- NAICS
- Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA)
Keywords
Where The Apple Pie is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ambleside
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Apple Pie business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cafe and Restaurant: On-site cafe serving breakfast and lunch options including homemade soups, baked potatoes, sandwiches, salads, cakes, specialty drinks, coffee, craft beers, wines and teas. No reservations - walk-in service.
- Bakery Products: Fresh bakery products sold over the counter including bread (tin loaves, baguettes, sourdough bloomers), pastries, cakes (over 20 varieties), pies, pasties, and sandwiches. Available for takeaway.
- Boutique Accommodation (Rooms @ The Apple Pie): 8 beautifully converted en-suite bedrooms in Ambleside town centre. Boutique style B&B with free parking. Won 2024 Experts' Choice Award.
- Apple Loft Rooms: Modern stylish accommodation above the cafe and bakery in Ambleside. Includes 10% discount on Apple Pie purchases for guests. 4 rooms available.
- Self-Catering Cottages: Three characterful Lakeland cottages in Grasmere: Cottage (sleeps 2), Barn (sleeps 4), and Farm House (sleeps 8). Fully furnished with kitchens and fire places. Dogs accepted at additional charge.
- Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers available from £5 to £250 that can be used for bakery/cafe purchases or accommodation stays. Physical vouchers posted to recipient.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift vouchers available in denominations from £5 to £250 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Apple Pie product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Apple Pie is a family-run cafe and on-site bakery in Ambleside producing fresh bread, cakes, pies, pastries, pasties, and sandwiches from scratch daily, with a walk-in cafe serving breakfast and lunch plus a takeaway counter. The business also offers three accommodation products: boutique B&B rooms (Rooms @ The Apple Pie and Apple Loft Rooms) in Ambleside and three self-catering holiday cottages in Grasmere.
Product overview
The Apple Pie is a locally-orientated, family-run business consisting of a traditional cafe and onsite bakery (the core offering), supplemented by three distinct accommodation products: Rooms @ The Apple Pie (boutique B&B in Ambleside), Apple Loft Rooms (above the bakery), and Goody Bridge Self Catering Cottages (three self-catering holiday cottages in Grasmere sleeping 2-8 guests). The business also offers gift vouchers as an add-on product. The bakery and cafe operates seven days a week producing fresh bread, pastries, cakes, pies, and pasties, while the accommodation offerings allow guests to extend their visit to the Lake District.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cafe & Bakery A traditional walk-in cafe and on-site bakery serving fresh bread, cakes, pies, pastries, sandwiches, breakfast, lunch, and specialty drinks, with a separate takeaway counter. Targets regular locals, passing tourists, and loyal visitors to Ambleside.
- Rooms @ The Apple Pie (Boutique B&B) Boutique B&B accommodation offering 8 en-suite bedrooms in a converted grade II listed building adjacent to the cafe in Ambleside, with free parking. Won 2024 Experts' Choice Award from TripExpert.
- Apple Loft Rooms Modern, stylish accommodation with 4 rooms located above the cafe and bakery in the heart of Ambleside, with views of Old Bridge House and Fairfield horseshoe. Guests receive a 10% discount on Apple Pie purchases.
- Goody Bridge Self-Catering Cottages Three characterful stone-built Lakeland holiday cottages in Grasmere: Goody Bridge Cottage (sleeps 2), Goody Bridge Barn (sleeps 4), and Goody Bridge Farm House (sleeps 8). Fully furnished with kitchens and fireplaces. Dogs accepted at additional charge. Apple Pie donates £5 from every cottage booking to the Grasmere Red Squirrels Foundation.
- Gift Vouchers Physical gift vouchers available in denominations from £5 to £250, redeemable for bakery and cafe purchases or towards stays at Rooms @ The Apple Pie or Goody Bridge Cottages. Vouchers posted to chosen recipient.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 10 places to eat in the Lake District - Guardian 2023
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Apple Pie
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Apple Pie technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Apple Pie partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Grasmere Red Squirrels FoundationminorApple Pie donates £5 from every cottage booking to support red squirrel conservation in Grasmere. This is a charitable giving initiative rather than a formal business partnership.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Apple Pie competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gail's Bakery: UK bakery café chain serving hand-crafted bread, pastries, cakes and coffee across high-street and commuter locations. Closest UK scale comparable to the Apple Pie on the café-bakery model, though operating at national chain scale rather than a single heritage site.
- Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate: Famous Yorkshire traditional tea room and bakery with a heritage, family-owned positioning broadly analogous to the Apple Pie. Both combine a sit-down café, retail bakery and brand-led product range, although Bettys adds cookery school and online mail order.
- The Cornish Bakery: UK regional bakery café chain selling hand-crafted bread, pasties, cakes and coffee. Comparable on product mix (pasties, breads, cakes) and café-retail hybrid, with similar focus on regional provenance.
- Wenzel's the Bakers: Established UK high-street bakery chain specialising in breads, rolls, sandwiches, cakes and pastries sold over the counter. Comparable on the bakery retail model, though predominantly takeaway rather than sit-down café.
Broad incumbents
- Costa Coffee: UK's largest coffee shop chain with a broad food and bakery offering across thousands of sites. Overlaps with the Apple Pie on the coffee-plus-bakery proposition but operates at very different scale and lacks the independent heritage positioning or on-site baking.
- Pret a Manger: National UK café chain serving freshly prepared sandwiches, salads, hot food and bakery items for immediate consumption. Overlaps on the daypart-driven café/bakery retail model but with mass-market convenience positioning rather than craft heritage.
- Patisserie Valerie: National UK patisserie and café chain centred on cakes, pastries and coffee. Comparable on the café + premium pastry offering but operates at chain scale without the on-site craft bakery or accommodation layer.
- Côte Brasserie: UK-wide all-day restaurant and café chain offering breakfast, lunch and dinner service. Comparable on the all-day café-with-bakery product set, but a brasserie-format incumbent without a craft on-site bakery.
Regional players
- Lovingly Artisan Bakery: Independent Cumbrian artisan bakery producing hand-crafted sourdough and specialty breads, serving the same Lake District and broader Cumbria catchment. Most direct regional comparable on craft bakery production and provenance positioning.
- Lakeside Hotel & Spa: Lake District hotel, restaurant and spa business operating on the southern shore of Windermere. Comparable on the combined hospitality-plus-F&B model serving the same Lake District tourist market, though positioned as full-service hotel rather than a craft café base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Apple Pie social profiles
Digital presenceThe Apple Pie financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Apple Pie leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Apple Pie funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Apple Pie M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Apple Pie
What does The Apple Pie do?
The Apple Pie is a family-run cafe and on-site bakery in Ambleside producing fresh bread, cakes, pies, pastries, pasties, and sandwiches from scratch daily, with a walk-in cafe serving breakfast and lunch plus a takeaway counter. The business also offers three accommodation products: boutique B&B rooms (Rooms @ The Apple Pie and Apple Loft Rooms) in Ambleside and three self-catering holiday cottages in Grasmere.
Is The Apple Pie a public or private company?
The Apple Pie is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Apple Pie founded?
The Apple Pie was founded in 1975.
Where is The Apple Pie based?
The Apple Pie is headquartered in Ambleside, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Apple Pie make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Cafe and Restaurant is the primary driver. The others are bakery Products, boutique Accommodation (Rooms @ The Apple Pie), apple Loft Rooms, self-Catering Cottages and gift Vouchers.
Who are The Apple Pie's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gail's Bakery, Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, The Cornish Bakery and Wenzel's the Bakers. Broad incumbents are Costa Coffee, Pret a Manger, Patisserie Valerie and Côte Brasserie. Regional players are Lovingly Artisan Bakery and Lakeside Hotel & Spa.
Does The Apple Pie have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Apple Pie.
What industry is The Apple Pie in?
The Apple Pie's product category is Bakery and Hospitality Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAH, Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts), with a secondary code of THAFAFAA, Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery). Its NAICS code is 445291 and its SIC code is 5810.