A barm cake is a soft, round, flattish bread roll from North West England, traditionally leavened with barm. Chips are a popular filling, sold in most fish and chip shops in the North West of England and often called a chip barm.

What is a barm cake used for?

Popular in the northwest of England, a barm cake isn't, confusingly, a cake, but a soft, round, white bread roll. Barm is also what people are said to have called the foam on fermenting ale which was traditionally used to leaven bread. It's favoured as a carby vehicle for chips, a pie or pasty, or black pudding.

Why is it called a barm?

The name barm cake arose from the use of barm - the foam formed on the top of beer - to make bread dough rise.