Eamonn Sweeney Blackbird Bakery
The creative force behind their Catalan-style cakes and bakes, Demi has baking in his blood. His grandfather, Jaume Sabat, was a famous pastry chef who, in 1951, set up a patisserie in Barcelona which went on to become a high-end chain. Veryan explains ‘Sabat then founded the first Spanish catering college for patisserie in Barcelona in the 60s and was known as ‘el maestro de los maestros’ (the master of the masters). He was a truly inspirational man. There is even a street named after him in Barcelona!’ With such a solid background in artisan baking, it’s no wonder Demi Pastisser offer some of the finest treats you’re likely to find locally, and all with a distinctively Catalonian edge. ‘Our signature cake is our chocolate bomba gateau, which translates as “bomb”’, Veryan teases, ‘with layers of delicate vanilla sponge, dark chocolate ganache, and a chocolate glaze.’ But it’s not only about to-die-for desserts. ‘In terms of bread, both the halloumi & mint and olive & thyme loaves fly off the stall and our Double Trouble loaf – a blend of organic rye, wholemeal and white flours made with two different sourdough starters – is also very popular.’ Another local whose business was built on sourdough is Eamonn Sweeney, who in 2001 founded Blackbird Bakery – now a successful small chain with one of his four (soon to be five) outlets on the Triangle’s Westow Street. Having started life in an industrial unit in Herne Hill, making cakes and supplying restaurants and cafés, they landed a regular pitch at a market stall in East Dulwich before setting up shop. They opened in Herne Hill, then Palace, back to East Dulwich and most recently West Norwood with their sights now set on Peckham in 2014. Relative big boys in the world of artisan baking, Eamonn is not afraid of a slice of healthy competition, and welcomes all the new kids on the block. ‘It’s great because it gives people a better awareness of good, handmade food and that only benefits us.’ Blackbird had found themselves ahead of the curve when the great baking renaissance recently began. Eamonn enthuses: ‘It’s gone crazy. In the time that I’ve been doing it, it’s gone bananas for the pop-up artisan baker. The rise in popularity of baking generally has been such a stroke of luck for us. We were in business already when that started happening and nobody could have predicted that baking would become the new rock’n’roll.’
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Demi Garcia Sabat Demi Pastisser
Joe Brett Brett & Bailey Bakers Matt Bailey Brett & Bailey Bakers