Department store Harvey Nichols has signed up Maison Brillant to open a bakery concession, as it gives its food hall a “face-lift”.
Maison Brillant has an outlet in Henley-on-Thames and has just opened a second in Gabriel’s Wharf, on London’s South Bank. It also has a wholesale business, based in Marlow, Bucks, which supplies top restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck.
Harvey Nichols fresh foods buyer Noel O’Brien told British Baker Maison Brillant will run a large working bakery, producing bread, patisserie and chocolate.He had seen around 20 contenders before shortlisting six to run the concession. Maison Brillant was selected purely on quality after “exhaustive” negotiations, he said.
“I was brought in to give the food hall a face-lift, in terms of branding, marketing and range,” explained Mr O’Brien. Harvey Nichols will continue to sell other branded bakery ranges, including Christmas puddings and biscuits, although the bulk of its offer will be produced on-site and from scratch by Maison Brillant. This will be a rustic and honest offer. There are not many places around Knightsbridge where you can buy a fresh baked sourdough product.”
A spokeswoman for Maison Brillant said it will supply a range of 13 everyday breads, 13 daily patisserie lines, 12 traiteur lines, including quiche and cheese sticks, and 11 Viennoiserie items as well as weekly specials and a choco-late range.
All ingredients will be sourced from France. The concession is due to open at the start of April, she said, and will be manned by five bakers.
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