Hoxton Bakehouse opens in Bishop's Waltham - bringing sourdough bread, cinnamon buns and free coffee to the town

The award-winning Hoxton Bakehouse opened in Bishop’s Waltham on Thursday.

Scores of eager customers visited the bakery to try the wares, which include sourdough bread, cinnamon buns, croissants and brownies, and they were rewarded with free cup of coffee.

Area manager Kate Bartlett said: ‘Bishop's Waltham is quite local to our first store, in Winchester. It is a nice old market town, it’s a really nice community, we have had lots of friendly people coming in.

‘We are really excited to be here.’

She added: ‘It has been pretty busy so far, the queue has not stopped. Everyone was really excited to welcome us to Bishop’s Waltham. We are obviously really excited to get going.’

Kate said the bakery was proud to serve some of the freshest bread around – and that it prides itself on giving excellent customer service.

She said: ‘We love to give amazing service, we get to know our customer’s needs, and we serve incredible coffee and amazing breads, pastries and sandwiches too.’

The business, which has been providing goods to more than 60 restaurants across the country since 2014, had to adapt to coronavirus restrictions, and it set up a popular home delivery service.

Kate said: ‘It has been a bit of a challenge at the beginning, but we have set up home delivery and we have now adapted in our shops, with everything being takeaway. People have been really supportive of us.’

Hoxton Bakehouse, which already has stores in Winchester and Lymington as well as a warehouse in Southampton, is the brainchild of former chefs and husband-and-wife duo Florence Hellier and Darren Bland.

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Its customers include Angela Hartnett’s Lime Wood, Chewton Glen, The Pig, Four Seasons, River Cottage and The Greyhound on the Test, Stockbridge.

The firm’s stoneground spelt loaf won a prestigious Produce Award in 2017. The business has also previously been named Best Bakery/Patisserie winner at the Hampshire Life Food Awards.

The Bishop’s Waltham bakery has taken over the former furniture shop in Brook Street, which was formerly the toy shop, next to Freddie V's Barbershop.

They also hope to open a branch in Petersfield before the end of the year.

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