Milanese boutique bakery chain Princi has opened its first shop in the UK and plans to launch a further 10 outlets in the capital over the next five years.

The stylish new shop (pronounced ’Princhy’), on Wardour Street in London’s Soho, is a collaboration between the com- pany’s founder, Rocco Princi, and London-based restaurateur Alan Yau, who set up the Wagamama chain.

Split 40/60 between retail and bakery, the 10,000sq ft site sells products including pizza, lasagne and a wide range of bread and patisserie. Visitors purchase food to take away or eat in at Italian-style standing counters and shared tables. A French artisan handmade, wood-fired oven is featured in the central window of the bakery’s main Wardour Street façade.

"It showcases the skill of the master baker at work in producing the bakery’s main offering of the highest-quality breads, made from organic flours and beech woods, both specially imported from France," according to the company, which has four bakery stores in Milan.

Alan Yau told British Baker that the Soho site would act as a production hub for further stores of around 2,000sq ft in size, as well as concessions.