Overview
Just a few weeks after revealing plans for a huge, magical North Sydney venture, The Grounds of Alexandria has announced another new project for their foodie empire — one that involves heaving mounds of lime and meringue tartlets, salted caramel and chocolate goodies, freshly baked loaves of pigeon seed and ash white sourdough. You got it, The Grounds has opened its own bakery.
Taking over an adorably quirky space at The Grounds' Alexandria headquarters, The Bakery extends the crew's already well-known love of baked goods to its own dedicated shop. Designed by an award-winning dream team — interior designer Caroline Choker and ACME&Co architect Vince Alafaci — The Bakery is an elegant 600 square metre, 40-seat, open format space, peppered with The Grounds' signature repurposed salvaged timber, hand-painted tiled artwork and signature green (you'll find it adorning the awesome new vintage fridge). While you're enjoying a cheeky scroll or two at the long table, you'll also be able to peek inside the bakery's open prep area and watch the wizards at work.
"Like all that we create at The Grounds, The Bakery started with a feeling," says The Grounds co-founder and director Ramzey Choker. "The smell of fresh baked goods fills you with a sense of warmth, of family and of contentment; it's a smell that takes you home. And so I wanted to recreate a space that mimics those emotions, and allows people to immerse themselves in the beauty and feeling that the smell and taste of a fresh baked loaf can bring."
Lead by group executive chef Paul McGrath, the team have been experimenting with a few new additions to The Grounds' celebrated baked good lineup, including an Asian-inspired version of European sourdough, the bamboo charcoal loaf. There's also the Lentil Du Puy, a new loaf made with French du puy lentils, yellow mung beans and red lentils. There's also the salted caramel and chocolate tartlet, or the pistachio olive oil and polenta cake with strawberry confit (gluten-free y'all).
The Grounds HQ has been a hive of development activity, following the opening of the site's new soda bar and express bus service this year.
The Bakery is open at The Grounds of Alexandria, 7A, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria. Open Monday to Friday 7am-4pm and Saturday to Sunday 7.30am-4pm.