Patisserie Holdings-owned Baker & Spice will launch its own gluten-free range this week, and has grand expansion plans.

The new gluten-free range will launch in London today (8 April) and in Brighton on 13 April, and includes “a rye-style loaf, a cob-type loaf, a seeded brown loaf and burger buns”, according to Paul Shovlin, Director of Operations at Baker & Spice.

These will all be available to eat in-store, as well as to buy to take home, from each of Baker & Spice’s four outlets (Chelsea, Maida Vale, in London’s Selfridges department store, and most recently, Brighton.)

Baker & Spice opened its first out-of-London store last month, with the new outlet in Brighton.

On the reasons behind choosing the seaside city, Shovlin told British Baker: “There was a plan to expand out of London, and when this this site came up it just seemed ideal – there’s lots of artisanal stuff going on in the area, and Baker & Spice is all about that, as well as provenance, and lauding all that is local.”

The Brighton store’s bread is all made daily, so that it’s “as fresh as fresh can be” by Baker & Spice’s team of bakers, two of which are based on site. There is also a range of celebration cakes, which can be ordered online or in store, and the café/deli caters for 50 covers. Baker & Spice also makes its own coffee and condiments – the opening has created 30 new jobs.

Cambridge plans

Baker & Spice also plans to open a second out-of-London site in Cambridge this year.  Shovlin said: “If all goes to plan it will be towards the end of the summer.”

Beyond that, Shovlin said there is a “gradual expansion plan.” He added: “We want to make sure that we get it right and really show people what we can do, rather than expand too quickly and lose the fantastic quality that we have now, but yes, there are plans in the pipeline – we have a couple of sites that we’re looking at now, but nothing definite yet.”