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Sous chef opens new Totterdown bakery
Sous chef Ashley Symons, who has previously worked at The Albion and The Pump House, has packed in fine dining to pursue his love of baking.
“I love baking bread because it’s just so unpredictable,” he says from in front of the ovens at Baked, now open in what used to be a Chinese takeaway on Oxford Street in Totterdown.
“It’s flour and water and salt and yeast – you make it one day and it’s good, and you make it the next day, exactly the same, and it comes out different. So it makes it a challenge and I quite like that. Simple ingredients become a challenge.”
is needed now More than ever
Baked has only been open since the start of this week, and clearly word travels fast because customers have been clearing Ashley out every day.
On Friday, the bakery had completely sold out by 1pm, despite hoping to stay open until 7pm. The good news is that he’s just had a large delivery of baking tins, which means he’ll be able to make twice as much.
“I also want to start doing some croissants, and sweet and savoury pastries. We’ve got a really good veg shop around the corner so I’ll be able to use all their fresh produce to make lots of nice stuff.
“I like the traditional live on-site, bake downstairs idea,” says 31-year-old Ashley, who lives above the bakery and renovated the whole place himself.
Baked looks set to become an integral part of the close-knit community of Totterdown, and Ashley has a few exciting plans in the pipeline already.
At Easter, he plans to make a Totterdown village out of gingerbread. “I want to get all the kids to help decorate all the little gingerbread houses and we’ll have an Easter egg hunt afterwards.”
And of course, Ashley will be making piles and piles of hot cross buns.
Baked, 123 Oxford Street, Totterdown, Bristol, BS3 4RH
07709 432168
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