Huge hikes in energy costs and the price of ingredients are behind the decision to close renowned café and sourdough bakery Bakers & Co. The firm announced the news on Instagram, revealing its last trading day is September 10.
Bakers & Co said the rising price of ingredients such as flour and butter, alongside spiralling energy prices, had led to the bakery and café to its final decision. The full caption says: "We've faced several challenges over what's been a difficult few years for everybody and each time the team here has pulled together to overcome the odds. Sadly with the increasing price of our core ingredients, which go into just about everything we make, along with spiralling energy prices things have become unsustainable.
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"It's with great sadness that I have to announce that Bakers will close its doors for the final time this Saturday. I want to thank all the staff past and present that have made this place what it is and such a joy to work in, as well as all the customers and the community that have sustained us. We hope that you can all make it down one last time before we bow out."
The news follows Bakers & Co launching its second site in Wapping Wharf in March, as a result of its lockdown success. It expanded from its original Gloucester Road bakery, after redefining itself during lockdown from a café and brunch eatery to a staple bakery for sourdough breads and pastries.
Co-founded by Imogen and Kieran Waite, Bakers & Co was famed for its signature sourdough, which has been credited to head chef and baker Brett St Clair.
The Bakers & Co team prided itself on its core ethos of 'sourdough, coffee and pastries', as Brett told Bristol Live in February: "I’ve been here for three-and-a-half years as head chef and I’ve been carrying on making bread and pastry items as the demand grew."
Kieran added: "Brett is always developing our products introducing heritage grains to our loaves, seasonal pastries, and various house fermented soft drinks."
During the pandemic, Bakers & Co offered provisions, takeaway food, and organic groceries, as well as providing meals for the NHS and vulnerable people, in order to give back to their community during a critical time. As part of the Season + Taste group, which owns Bristol restaurants such as Bravas on Cotham Hill and Gambas at Cargo in Wapping Wharf, Bakers & Co will be now be offering roles for former employees in other businesses.
Kieran added: "We will ensure that everybody working at Bakers & Co is offered opportunities in other Season + Taste businesses so we can continue to build on what we have started together."
The Bakers & Co site on Gloucester Road will eventually house as a new venture from Season + Taste. In the meantime, it will operate as a pop-up event space for other local projects and occasions.
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