BB Bakery is the venture of Philippe and Brigitte Bloch, who came to London in late 2009 after considerable experience both of the hotel industry and of running a portfolio of restaurants in Madrid. Despite the state of the UK economy, they identified an opportunity and have pursued it since, financing it with their own money, and constantly re-investing in top quality new equipment as they have expanded from a single site to three.
And it combines identifying a concept that London is clearly welcoming, with attention to delivering high quality food and ambience, and with using flair in presentation and promotion – the food looks spectacular, and the design ‘chic’ ensures that BB lives in the memory.
H & C News met recently with Philippe to find out more, and then returned to sample the offering…it’s safe to say that not only have we already recommended BB to others, we’ll be back to use it again ourselves!
The concept
BB Bakery presents the French Salon de Thé, bringing the authentic taste of real French baking to London. Whether you want to meet friends for a coffee and a pastry, relax in comfy chairs (not always easy in London’s coffee shops), enjoy a spot of lunch, or experience their fabulous afternoon tea, BB Bakery provides a mouth-watering selection of food and patisserie to tempt you.
BB County Hall (also BB Covent Garden, opened on Jubilee Day 2012 and flourishing) delivers French chic at its best. The wonderful displays, the beautifully decorated seating area, the amazing array of fabulous cakes and pastries all combine to bring a little bit of Paris to London. Conveniently located close to the London Eye and all the other attractions on the Southbank, it’s a haven that both tourists and local business people are discovering in growing numbers.
And now – just down the street from the original BB Bakery in Belvedere Road, behind London’s County Hall – there’s also delicious fresh pasta at the BB Pasta Bar which H & C News definitely plans to check out….
Afternoon Tea
Recently, the fabulous ‘BB Bakery Afternoon Tea’ was introduced, and will provide significant competition for even the grandest afternoon tea offered by London’s five star hotels!
24 hours notice is needed so that your ‘tea’ can be prepared – a delicious combination of sandwiches and scones, plus an assortment of high tea pastries and cakes – and the cost is just £22 per person – or you can go up market and splash out with a champagne tea for two at £29 per person.
Already, the bookings are growing for both couples and larger parties although, interestingly, not everyone wants to wait until afternoon ‘tea time’ – why wait when you can book for the morning, or lunch time!
How’s it done?
BB County Hall has a substantial basement kitchen which is used to prepare all the food that is served in the Bakery above, or delivered to BB Covent Garden, where there is just front of house and a small pantry for preparation.
The kitchen opens early (4 a.m.) every morning, seven days a week, in order to ensure that everything served is absolutely fresh.
Displaying the food takes time and effort: both outlets take real pride in creating wonderful displays of their products: ‘cones’ that can show macaroons, meringues, petits choux…to best advantage. So much so that the Covent Garden branch has tourists queuing outside to take pictures – with many then tempted to sample what they’ve seen.
Design
As can be seen from the illustrations, a lot of thought and effort has been used to create the comfortable, distinctive ambience of BB.
And Brigitte Bloch (‘BB’) commissioned and worked with a designer in Paris to create the four ‘girls’ used to represent and promote BB in a quirky, distinctive (and definitely not ‘corporate’) and recognisable style that will serve them well as they continue to expand.
What next?
BB has controlled costs carefully, investing in locations, decor, staff and product, and allowing the quality of service and product to successfully attract customers and grow the business.
There’s little doubt that London can support more outlets. However, as many discover, locating and securing outlets close to a ‘destination’ that attracts a high-end mix of customers is not easy. Nonetheless, Philippe Bloch reckons they can expand to perhaps five outlets before the inevitable issues of structures and control become significantly more difficult to manage.
And there’s even the possibility of franchising the concept which would enable its use in other major cities around the world…
BB Bakery County Hall
Belvedere Road
London SE1 7PB
T: 020 7633 0129
E: info@bbbakery.co.uk
BB Bakery Covent Garden
6-7 Chandos Place
Covent Garden
London WC2H 4HU
T: 020 7593 1338
E: info@bbbakery.co.uk