Independently owned chain Cornish Bakery is rolling out a new concept said to ‘thin the boundaries’ between traditional bakeries and casual dining spaces.
Called Rise by Cornish Bakery, the new concept will be rolled out at larger sites in key locations across the UK with three of the firm’s seven upcoming openings carrying the name and bespoke-designed brand experience.
The first Rise by Cornish Bakery site will be in Betws-y-Coed in Conwy, North Wales which will open in April 2026. It also mark’s the firm’s first location in Wales. Seating up to 192 people inside and outside, the property will be 2,500 sq ft in size with a bespoke design. Located at the entrance to Eryri National Park, it will be designed with the theme of the ‘bakery of anticipation’ as customers enter the picturesque area home to Mount Snowdon. The bespoke interiors will respect its location, with works by local designers including hand-made local woven Welsh tapestries as wall hangings.
This will closely be followed by the second Rise bakery in Portsmouth’s historic waterfront Gunwharf Quays Designer Outlet Centre, set to open in early May. Cornish Bakery has had a presence in Gunwharf Quays since 2001 and as part of a recent shopping outlet redevelopment, is relocating to a new much larger two-storey property. This site will be Cornish Bakery’s largest property so far at 3,500 sq. ft, featuring an extensive orangery, outdoor terrace and first floor balcony. It will also feature space for baking and barista classes for the local community.
Rounding off the trio is Cornish Bakery’s second site within the main shopping street in Falmouth. The new site is spread over three floors and will be able to seat 92 people.
Founder Steve Grocutt said the concept is the next “turn of the dial” in the bakery sector.
“Our ‘Rise by Cornish Bakery’ concept purposefully thins the boundaries between traditional bakeries and casual dining spaces,” he said. “We’re taking the opposite of the lazy ‘cookie cutter’ approach, purposefully designing new flexible environments that showcase bigger spaces, and inviting our guests to enjoy a morning pastry and speciality coffee, return for small plates and a glass of wine or local beer, meet friends and family, or settle in for a relaxed date – at any time of day or evening.”
The Rise bakeries will expand traditional coffee and bakery offerings to include small plates designed for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and afternoon/early evening dining. Cornish Bakery’s full product range, including its Cornish pasties and sausage rolls, will also be available alongside viennoiserie and cakes, plus coffee from the Cornwall-based B-Corp Origin Coffee.
The new range of small plates will include:
- Chorizo & Shakshuka baked eggs, with tomatoes, peppers, onion and spices and free-range eggs from St. Ewe Eggs in Cornwall
- Cornish Huevos Rancheros – Cornish Bakery’s own take on the Mexican dish will feature black beans, tomatoes, guacamole and free-range St. Ewe Eggs
- Crab Gratin, with dauphinoise potato, Cornish cheddar cheese, lemon and parsley will be served alongside a Cornish Ploughman’s sharing plate for two, featuring ham hock and piccalilli terrine, Cornish Bakery’s farmhouse sausage roll, Cornish cheddar, chutney, gherkins and grapes.
All small plates can be washed down with Cornish beers from Harbour Brewery and wines from Camel Valley Vineyard alongside the enhanced menu.
“We’re creating a format that removes the traditional boundaries between bakery, cafe and casual dining,” Grocutt added. “Our vision is to redefine what a bakery is does and can be, and our select new larger Rise locations enhance our belief that bakeries should be part of the community with us providing new spaces where local communities can host special events and happenings.
“At the heart of it remains our exceptional baking, but the setting is reimagined for a new generation who see hospitality as something more fluid and experiential.”
Cornish Bakery is aiming to expand its estate to over 400 sites, hiring Jeremy Smith in the newly created role of property director last year. It reported a 24% increase in revenue to £36.4m and a 32% increase in EBITDA to £4.5m in its latest annual accounts to May 2025.
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