Patisserie Mark Bennett

If your road trip has you cruising through Poole, Dorset, a pit stop at Pâtisserie Mark Bennett is practically a legal requirement. This artisan bakery is where French pastry dreams come to life, and your diet plans come to die happy.

Start with their croissant beurre—so buttery it should come with a treadmill voucher. The pain au chocolat is a chocolate lover’s alibi for having dessert at breakfast. And the almond croissants? Let’s just say they’re the reason elastic waistbands exist.

For those who believe that sandwiches are merely vehicles for more exciting ingredients, the gourmet options here will make you reconsider your stance. The roasted butternut squash with crumbled goat’s cheese and cranberry sauce is a flavour symphony that might just make you weep with joy.

Be warned: this place is busier than a bee at a flower show. With a steady stream of patrons, it’s wise to arrive early or risk performing the ‘I need caffeine’ shuffle in the queue.

So, set your sat-nav to indulgence and prepare to have your taste buds serenaded by the culinary equivalent of a French love song. Your road trip just found its sweetest detour.