Cornish Bakery opens in former bank in Cotswolds town
Cornish Bakery has opened a new branch today (Monday) in a former bank in Cirencester. The independent, founder-driven company first started in Mevagissey, Cornwall, and the Cotswolds opening is the 66th for the chain.
The new Cirencester bakery is set within a listed 19th century, Portland Stone building on the corner at 2 Market Place. The spot was formerly a bank and retains a whole host of interesting architectural features to prove it, including the bank’s historic vault made of reinforced concrete and steel.
More than 15 year-round local jobs will be created, and the new Cornish Bakery will also be supporting the Cirencester community through a partnership with a local charity to be selected by the new bakery team. Each Cornish Bakery is individually created to honour its setting and history.
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The new Cirencester building inspired the company’s designers who have worked hard to sympathetically retain a number of the stunning original features from the bank. In addition to the original vault, the internal original timber cladding has been retained and restored and the building’s naturally high ceilings maximised with bold, feature lighting.
There are 3m-high ornate windows that allow natural light to stream in. Little has been changed on the stone facade aside from the addition of traditional awnings and window boxes.
Inside, the 123-metre square property hosts seating for up to 42 people. All Cornish Bakery products are freshly made and baked on-site every single day.
The Cirencester open kitchen enables visitors to watch the team mixing, shaping, kneading and baking products throughout the day. The new Cirencester bakery features artwork by Cornwall-based artist, Ella Carty, providing dramatic ‘pops’ of contemporary colour against a deliberately neutral colour palette.
The Cirencester bakery sells Cornish Bakery’s range of delicious products including its award-winning pasties and sausage rolls, both lauded by food reviewer for The Times Giles Coren. Additionally, it sells its daily crafted and baked viennoiseries, cakes, and handmade Cornish pasties.
Newer successes include the twice-baked Pistachio Croissant, stuffed with homemade frangipane and pistachio cream, and the Shakshuka Croissant, filled with lightly spiced roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes combined with a cheesy bechamel sauce. Additionally is the winter treat, the new sticky and spicy Winter Bun with candied orange peel, cranberries and marzipan.
In a release, Cornish Bakery said: "Cornish Bakery has a long-standing commitment to the B-Corp certified specialty coffee company Union who work in partnership with farmers to improve both quality of coffee and livelihoods. The company also proudly sources a large majority of its ingredients and products from producers, growers and suppliers from across Cornwall and the south west."
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Cornish Bakery managing director, Mat Finch said: “We are so delighted to open the doors to our newest Cornish Bakery, our 66th nonetheless, in the ‘capital of the Cotswolds’, Cirencester in such an intriguing building. Behind the steel vault door lies our very valuable, freshly baked Cornish pasties and we like to go the extra mile to keep them safe… Jokes aside, we are very pleased to be bringing our unique philosophy and our values-driven culture to this key location.”
A perfect breakfast, lunch or afternoon stop off for shoppers, visitors and residents alike, the Cirencester Bakery Manager, Michelle Gibson (who was recently promoted internally from the role of Assistant Manager at Bourton-on-the-Water) and team are ready to welcome customers from 8am - 5pm every day.