LOGO

I saw this post on The Cool Hunter’s mail-out last week, just days after a Saturday breakfast stint at the Nordic Bakery on Golden Square (cinnamon roll highly recommended).

TCH’s ‘Rise of the Designer Bakery’ article claims it’s a luxury to find a decent loaf of bread these days, and since it’s a luxury, you might as well buy it from an über-coolly designed bakery. I wouldn’t argue with that.

But whilst Designer Bakeries might be nominated in the Bread Rising Star category, I think there’s still something to be said for the relatively recent influx of Bakery Brands, popping up on many a London street corner.

They might not all be marks of high design, and, granted, not all sell bread (there’s a greater surge of over-priced multi-coloured cupcake vendors), but these bakeries offer so much more Feeling than their designer counterparts…

I’m not talking about the icing-dripped windows of Greggs with its (ironic?) registered trademark, “The Home of Fresh Baking”; I’m talking about the quintessentially cute Primrose Bakery, the prim, proper yet playful Hummingbird Bakery, the glossy camp Cox Cookies & Cake, and the understated Scandinavian design of Nordic Bakery. These bakeries have leapt from low-key following to fully baked cult status, and with that, leveraged lateral business opportunities along the way.

Beyond the loaf or iced cupcake are the branded presentation packaging, merchandise and bakery recipe books – for which the latter, outside of dragging your friends to the bakery on a Saturday morning to show-off the original baked delights you’ve discovered, presents the perfect brand advocacy opportunity as a gift or via shared home cooking. Best of all, these bakeries boast bundles of styled character and warm charm, provoking an emotional connection that is somewhat lacking from those slick designer bakeries.

Of course, these brands are extending their offer to pocket some extra cash. But it’s the presence of these auxiliary items that forms a fuller, fluffier package – added flavour and value. And to be fair to the bakeries, they’ve established brand status whilst retaining integrity as one-offs or with a handful of stores at most.

These are quality, retail brand experiences with accessible identities – and that’s more than enough persuasion to part with my dough (pun intended).

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