Alongside the hope filled sight of green shoots poking up, the days becoming lighter and flashes of newness bursting all around us, it’s the scent of freshly baked hot cross buns filling our bakeries that truly heralds the beginning of spring.
That subtle shift which quietly begins with the emergence of the first snowdrops and seems to suddenly burst into a riot of pastel hues, young green leaves and an ever increasing amount of sunshine - spring is a time to embrace new starts.
As bakers, we turn to well-sourced, seasonal ingredients that reflect this time of year, bringing joy and nourishment in abundance. Spiced, sticky buns - preferably toasted and generously buttered. Bright, robust sandwiches, packed with flavour and freshness. A creamy iced latte with a rich, homemade muscovado syrup. Tiny traditional cookies filled with poppyseed and lemon zest.
A spring menu that, we hope you’ll agree, fully celebrates this season of new life, new beginnings and nourishing goodness.
Ever since a 12th century English monk marked a cross into his freshly baked buns on Good Friday (also known as the Day of the Cross), hot cross buns have heralded the festival of Easter. We make these traditional Easter buns in a slightly untraditional way, thanks to the variety of heritage grains. Bejewelled with candied peel, cranberries and sultanas, our dough is made from grains of paradise with cinnamon and mixed spice adding warmth and spice. A generous brushing of clove, star anise and nutmeg syrup, straight out of the oven, adds a sticky, sweet glaze for a Hot Cross Bun that is as delicious toasted and spread with butter as it is fresh from our Baker’s Table.
Hamantaschen are enjoyed during the Jewish holiday of Purim and taste as sweet and crumbly as they look. Made with buttery shortcrust pastry, these traditional cookies are filled with ground poppyseeds, honey, milk and lemon juice, baked until golden and dusted in icing sugar. This year, inspired by our marzipan-like Ricciarelli biscuits, we’ve also made hamantaschen with a ground almond, vanilla and fresh lemon zest filling. They’re only around for a couple of weeks so be sure to enjoy one (or two) with your mid-morning cup of filter coffee or afternoon cup of tea.
For those looking for a more savoury taste of spring, our Harissa Chicken Sandwich is a true homage to the moreish North African fricassé sandwiches and all the freshness and flavour that comes with them. Chunks of soft potato scattered throughout our Potato & Rosemary Sourdough add a textured nod to the potato in the traditional recipe. Each slice is slathered with a preserved lemon and Kalamata olive mayonnaise for a fresh, zesty creaminess to the smoky spice of the harissa marinated, free-range chicken breast. Fresh tomato and spinach balance the deep rich flavours for a sandwich which awakens the senses in a most substantial way.
As the season that bridges the gap between winter and summer, spring is the time that we can find ourselves craving refreshment and indulgence all at once. For the days when it’s past hot chocolate season but not quite ice cream time, may we suggest trying our Iced Muscovado Latte? Made with pure, simple ingredients, the deep complexity of caramel and burnt sugar in our house-made muscovado syrup naturally elevate the cocoa and walnut notes in our espresso. Combine these with the creamy sweetness of Brades Dairy milk and our classic GAIL’s Iced Latte transforms into a decadent, naturally sweeter treat.
