Bread Ahead Bakery & School
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Bread Ahead Bakery & School is a British chain of bakery, café, restaurants and baking schools in the UK and around the world. The bakery was first established in 2013 by owner Matthew Jones at the London location of Borough Market. By 2014 Bread Ahead had set up their first baking school, providing baking courses for enthusiasts of all levels and abilities. Bread Ahead Bakery are renowned for using British sourced ingredients to create their products. Some of their most popular products include sourdough breads, doughnuts (of various flavours), artisan sandwiches, cinnamon buns, pastries, coffee & teas. Bread Ahead Bakery LTD is owned by Matthew Jones, founder & head baker. Matthew began his career as a chef in the 1990s, where he worked along some of the UK's celebrity chefs. By the end of the 90s Matthew set up his first bakery Flour Power City Bakery in Hoxton, London, which proved to be highly successful. And in 2012 Matthew set up a bakery in Borough Market, which is now the home of Bread Ahead Bakery & School. As of 2021, the company operates in 3 countries and has its head office in London, UK.
History[edit]
The very first Bread Ahead Bakery was founded in 2013 in Borough Market, London, United Kingdom.[2]
The founder and head baker Matthew Jones has been in the industry for 25 years.
Matthew made his very first bread loaf at the age of 8 when he won an allotment competition, by the age of 17, he completed a youth training scheme and started working in some of London's best kitchens as a pastry chef, chef and baker.[3] Matthew mentions in interviews the positive role his mother played during his youth, and describes her as a foodie and excellent cook.
Upon leaving school in 1986 Matthew spent 10 years working in the London restaurant scene as pastry chef and baker. He honed his craft working alongside names such as Shaun Hill, Simon Hopkinson and John Torode in restaurants including Bibendum, Pont de la Tour, Quaglino's and finally as Head Pastry and Bakery Chef at Mezzo.[4]With a growing love of baking, by 1997 he ended up running the Soho Conran Bakery.
In 1999 Matthew opened Flour Power City Bakery in Hoxton. It was a hugely success serving over 100 customers daily across London and yet more at their second shop in Kent. Over the following 12 years Flour Power City gained a reputation for excellence, featuring regularly in prestigious food journals as well as on prime time TV.[5]
Throughout this time Matthew built a strong and ongoing relationship with Borough Market, Britain's most renowned food market. Borough Market is a destination for Londoners and food fanatics across the globe.
By 2000s Matthew set up a bakery and bakery stall in Borough Market and by 2013 it had transformed into the very first Bread Ahead Bakery.[6]
Founding the first Bread Ahead Bakery was only the beginning, of a very big personal project for baker and entrepreneur Matthew Jones. Not only does Matthew say he is passionate about creating good quality British bakes for the public, but he describes himself as an advocate for good quality food education. And so in February 2014 he founded the Bread Ahead baking school; a place to teach baking to the public.
Jones Integrated a baking school into the bakery at Borough Market. Students would spend mornings, afternoons and evenings in the bakery, learning a wide variety of baking and pastry making skills. Workshops were designed to guide established bakers with an appetite for genuine traditional baking and teach novice bakers the secrets behind their favourite foods.[7]
The Bread Ahead Baking School is home to baking workshops which include Doughnut, Great British Baking, Nordic, and Gluten-free to name a few. Workshops are led by Bread Ahead's bakery school teachers.
In 2019/20, during the pandemic the Baking School went online to provide Baking Workshops to thousands of people in lockdown around the world. As lockdowns eased up in many countries around the world, Bread Ahead created an online baking platform, called E-learning.[8]
In August 2017, Bread Ahead published its first ever cookbook, Baking School: The Bread Ahead Cookbook.[9]
And in October 2021 Bread Ahead published its second cooking, Bread Ahead – The Expert Home Baker.[10]
Over the years Bread Ahead has grown, from a stand alone bakery stall in Borough Market, to various Bakeries around London including a café bakery in Hampstead & a restaurant in Wembley. The baking school at Borough has also expanded and Matthew has since opened further bakery schools in Pavilion Road and Wembley[11]
Popularity in the media[edit]
Bread Ahead has grown in popularity over the years, having received visits from Prince Harry in June 2017[12] and Prince Charles and Camilla later that same year, December 2017.[13] Owner Matthew Jones puts it down to what he believes are a few key principles: tradition, quality and seasonality."[14]
Others believe the media popularity is a mix of growing public interest in baking and live zoom classes during lockdown.[15]
Bakeries[edit]
As of December 2021, there are 6 Bread Ahead bakery, café and restaurants in London and a total of 3 Baking Schools. One bakery in Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
In 2022, Bread Ahead Bakery have plans to open more locations across London.
Each Bread Ahead bakery has been designed with its own unique interior which tells a story about that particular location. The food and bakery menu varies slightly in each bakery.
The Southwark Cathedral Cafe[edit]
The Southwark Cathedral Cafe is located a short walk from Borough Market where Matthew Jones founded Bread Ahead in 2013.
In 2021 Bread Ahead took residency in the Cathedral Cafe on a short term contract. Open daily and serving breakfast and lunch, with a seasonal menu which uses British produce. A bulk of the ingredients are sourced from Borough Market business owners and traders.
A selection of traditional breakfast dishes all made on site which vary from sandwiches and poached eggs to patisserie, including Bread Ahead's doughnuts and cinnamon buns.
The new site can seat up to 60 guests in the dining room and a further 60 in the courtyard.[17]
Beak Street[edit]
In January 2018, Bread Ahead opened a bakery and café in Soho.
The bakery operates as a sit down café seating up to 60 people, serving hot breakfast, a menu of savoury dishes for lunch and hot and cold drinks. The breakfast offering at Bread Ahead includes a variety of savoury and sweet dishes, including Croque Monsieur and Brioche French toast and Gluten free waffles[18]
Borough Market[edit]
Borough Market is the home of the first Bread Ahead bakery, founded in 2013, they still use the very same building and market stall today. As you walk past the bakery you can see the bakers prepare and prove their doughs overnight, which are then baked in the ovens very early the next morning and sold to market visitors the next day.
Hampstead[edit]
Located on Hampstead High Street, this smaller bakery sells baked items and coffees, such as sourdough breads, cinnamon rolls and doughnuts. In 2021, the Hampstead bakery is Bread Ahead's second location in North London.
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Pavilion Road (Chelsea)[edit]
Bread Ahead opened a bakery on Pavilion Road in Chelsea. This cafe bakery offers a the standard range of sourdough breads, pastries, cakes, sandwiches and doughnuts. A two storey building, upstairs from the bakery, you can see the baking school where customers take part in baking courses.
In 2020 Pavilion Road was pedestrianised.[19]
Wembley[edit]
The Bread Ahead Wembley location is the companies largest bakery site and unlike it other bakeries, has all-day menu. A two storey building, the site can fit 220 people in the seating area. On the mezzanine floor are 2 glass-fronted classrooms ; which gives restaurant customers below a view of the baking workshops that take place.
The location has been developed to house a wholesale bread bakery so you can see bakers prepare the breads which are used in their sandwiches and bread loaves for customers to purchase and takeaway.[20]
Dubai[edit]
Located in the Mobility District at the Dubai Expo 2020, Bread Ahead Bakery and School opened its bakery doors for the first time to customers outside of the UK, offering a limited range of sourdough breads, pizza and doughnuts.[21]
Saudi Arabia[edit]
As of late 2021, Bread Ahead Bakery & School are to open their first franchise in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Karen Lord, Partner & Head of the Corporate Department, and solicitor Charlie Pattihis worked with Matthew Jones to launch the franchise and joint venture arrangement with a large family-run company in KSA. The deal involved negotiating a detailed development joint venture agreement and supporting franchise and commercial agreements.[22]
Doughnuts[edit]
The Bread Ahead Doughnuts have become immensely popular, from when they were discovered by the very first customers in 2013 stumbling across their bakery in Borough Market. At their Borough Market queues around the doughnut stall tend to be long and getting your hands on certain doughnut flavours is not always easy. As they opened new locations around London, the doughnuts were the item that tended to disappear rather quickly. Journalist, Alex Landon describes how "amongst the greatest joys you can have on a Saturday morning is popping along to their original home in Borough Market (pitching up before the crowds arrive), nabbing a doughnut that's almost overflowing with cream, and munching it leisurely whilst wandering around the market."[23]
The doughnut dough takes 45 minutes to prepare and needs to be chilled overnight before each doughnut is fried on each side and then piped with various fillings made with British ingredients.[24]
The flour is all from Marriages in Chelmsford, and it's British wheat, grown in Essex. For fillings such as the Raspberry or Jam, Bread Ahead use British sourced fruit.[25]
Blogger, the food connoisseur describes the possible reason behind why Bread Ahead doughnuts are so popular. "It's down to the dough, it is bouncy and soft fluffy in the inside. There's also the hint of saltiness from the added sea salt and if your tongue can taste it, a little tartness from the lemon zest. The doughnut is lightly coated in caster sugar granules. Depending on the filling, your doughnut ball will come oozing out of a tiny hole it was piped in."[26]
Baking courses[edit]
In 2021, Bread Ahead run many in person baking workshops from 3 main London locations; Borough Market, Pavilion Road (Chelsea) & Wembley. They also run baking classes at the Dubai Expo.[27]
Bread Ahead have an E-learning platform for online baking classes, so people all around the world can bake along.
Matthew Jones describes how "education is one of the company's key underlying principles, and it is immensely rewarding to have the opportunity to teach tens of thousands of people each year in the art and craft of baking." [28]
Instagram: IG lives during lockdown[edit]
When the pandemic hit and the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, it forced many retail businesses to adapt their strategy. A challenging time for Bread Ahead, they decided to keep their Borough Market bakery open during the pandemic. They continued to selling their baked goods to customers and the baking school that Matthew set up in 2014, took on a new virtual experience.[29]
Coronavirus caused Bread Ahead to do some deep thinking about the direction they wanted to take as a business. So, they began by running Instagram live baking workshops during lockdown.[30]The online Bread Ahead community grew into a global audience, with people tuning in for the baking workshops from the US, Japan, the Middle East and Brazil. Their Instagram following more than doubled to a figure of 196k followers.
Being forced away from in-person teaching due to Coronavirus and lockdown restrictions, Bread Ahead launched an e-learning series with subscribers from all over the world. This gave them the ability to reach a global audience.[31]
Books[edit]
As of December 2021, Bread Ahead have a total of two books and five eBooks.
Baking School Cookbook[edit]
The Bread Ahead Baking School is debut cookbook from Bread Ahead and Matthew Jones. From international bread, cakes and pastry to Great British bakes, this book has chapters with recipes from across the globe.
Chapters are divided by country, including English, French, Italian and Nordic, there are chapters on individual items such as sourdough, gluten-free and doughnuts.[32]
Bread Ahead - Expert Home Baker[edit]
The Expert Home Baker features classic baking recipes, with both sweet and savoury staples and seasonal recipes, this book was said to offer enthusiasts the opportunity to learn the skills behind baking like a Bread Ahead baker from the comfort of your own home.
From classics, such as Victoria Sponge, a rustic country loaf or cookies, to the more challenging Millefeuille or savoury croissants, the book features an entire chapter on doughnuts.[34]
Online Baking eBook[edit]
The online baking recipe E book contains all 18 recipes featured from their Instagram live schedule during lockdown.
This very first eBook was aimed at all those who had tuned into their Instagram over lockdown. Bread Ahead decided to create an eBook to share all the recipes from their IG live schedule.
Online Baking eBook - Volume 2[edit]
The second in the series of online baking recipe books, this eBook was aimed at all those who had shared Instagram posts of their home bakes from baking classes. So, this second eBook featured recipes from their April online baking tutorials.
Online Baking eBook - Volume 3[edit]
The third in the series of online baking recipe books, this eBook was inspired by summer recipes and which had all featured in their June online baking tutorials. The eBook contained recipes of retro inspired desserts, puff pastry and white bread dough.
Online Baking eBook - Family Baking[edit]
The fourth in a series of online baking eBooks. This one was inspired by Matthew's childhood bakes. This book was aimed at involving the whole family in the baking process. All of the recipes featured on the Bread Ahead Instagram live schedule, so that families could tune in and bake along.
At Home with Matthew & Erika[edit]
At Home with Matthew & Erika was the fifth in a series of online baking eBooks. This book saw Matthew bring to life some classic desserts. Matthew & Erika ran free online baking classes in which customers who bought the eBook could tune in and bake along.
Menu[edit]
Products vary at each bakery but generally include doughnuts (of various flavours), pastries, cakes, croissants, sandwiches, soups, sourdough, pizza and various types of bread. They also have tea, mineral & sparkling water, soft drinks, coffee-based drinks (and at their Wembley branch, they serve wine & beer).
As the company source British ingredients, seasonal items feature heavily in their menus throughout the year.[35]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://www.breadahead.com/
- ↑ "Our story". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ Stewart, Victoria (2015-04-09). "Made in London: meet baker Matt Jones of Bread Ahead Bakery". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Our story". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Matthew Jones". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Matthew Jones". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ Stewart, Victoria (2015-04-09). "Made in London: meet baker Matt Jones of Bread Ahead Bakery". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead launch online baking tutorials - and they're free!". Hot Dinners. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ Gellatly, Justin; Gellatly, Louise; Jones, Matthew (2017-08-31). Baking School: The Bread Ahead Cookbook (1st ed.). Penguin. Search this book on
- ↑ "Bread Ahead: The Expert Home Baker by Matthew Jones | Hardie Grant Publishing". HardieGrant. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Interview with Founder & Head Baker of Bread Ahead Matt Jones". Healys LLP. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ Kenny, Lucy (2017-06-16). "If These Doughnuts Are Good Enough For Prince Harry, Then We'll Take 300 Boxes". POPSUGAR Food UK. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ Hatts, James. "Charles and Camilla visit Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral". London SE1. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ Stewart, Victoria (2015-04-09). "Made in London: meet baker Matt Jones of Bread Ahead Bakery". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Borough Market Diaries: behind the scenes at Bread Ahead Bakery | News". Speciality Food Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ https://www.breadahead.com/location/wembley
- ↑ "Bread Ahead pops up at Southwark Cathedral". Hot Dinners. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "GEMMA BELL AND COMPANY | NEWS | BREAD AHEAD BEAK STREET". www.gemmabellandcompany.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Experimental pedestrian and cycle zone in Pavilion Road - Kensington and Chelsea's Consultation and Engagement Hub - Citizen Space". consult.rbkc.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead is opening a huge restaurant, bakery and school in Wembley". Hot Dinners. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead sets up shop at Expo 2020". The Dubai Advantage. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Interview with Founder & Head Baker of Bread Ahead Matt Jones". Healys LLP. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead • The Cult London Bakery With The Legendary Doughnuts". Secret London. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead - London's best doughnut | the food connoisseur". thefoodconnoisseur.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ Stewart, Victoria (2015-04-09). "Made in London: meet baker Matt Jones of Bread Ahead Bakery". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead - London's best doughnut | the food connoisseur". thefoodconnoisseur.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Home". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ↑ "Interview with Founder & Head Baker of Bread Ahead Matt Jones". Healys LLP. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ Business, Twisper. "Keeping up the pace during lockdown | TWISPER Business". business.twisper.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Bread Ahead launch online baking tutorials - and they're free!". Hot Dinners. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ Business, Twisper. "Keeping up the pace during lockdown | TWISPER Business". business.twisper.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Baking School Cookbook". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ https://www.breadahead.com/product/the-expert-home-baker
- ↑ "The Expert Home Baker". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ↑ "Home". Bread Ahead. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
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