Gallery: Harrods unveils from-scratch bakery

Harrods has officially opened the first phase of its Food Halls’ transformation, unveiling a from-scratch bakery and coffee roastery.

The Roastery and Bake Hall is the first step in a two-year restoration project that will transform Harrods’ Food Halls.

Launching alongside this is a stand-alone food-to-go concept store called Roast and Bake, located on Basil Street. It offers fresh Viennoiserie straight from the ovens of the bakery, as well as sandwiches, salads and snack pots.

The from-scratch bakery is led by master baker Lance Gardner and offers 15 varieties of bread, as well as pastries, cakes and biscuits, which are freshly baked throughout the day. A bell is rung every 30 minutes announcing that the creations are leaving the ovens.

All of the bread is created in-house, using starter cultures, and baked directly on the oven stone in front of the customers. This includes Harrods’ Signature Sourdough, comprising just three ingredients – flour, water and salt – in a starter created by Gardner using a unique blend of wholemeal and white flour from Shipton Mill to create a sour, crisp loaf.

“I have spent months perfecting the starter. It needs constant looking after and ’feeding’,” said Gardner in an interview on the Harrods website.

“Working with this kind of dough is like trying to keep eggs on a table – you have to stay on top of everything. Is the room warm enough? Does it need to be mixed more or less? How warm is the water? All these things have a big impact.”

The Harrods White Sourdough can be personalised with a customer’s initials and uses a bespoke starter made with 100% Shipton Mill white flour to create a delicate sourdough with a creamy taste and crisp crust. A flavoured sourdough also features on the menu and will change each month, while the toppings on the two types of focaccia will change daily, using ingredients from Harrods’ Food Halls.

Meanwhile, award-winning chocolatier Alistair Birt is heading up the new Harrods patisserie, serving baked treats available to purchase in the restaurants and food halls. He cut his teeth at Scottish luxury patissier and chocolatier William Curley, before joining Harrods in 2016.

...