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London-based Scots have The Shoap in Islington for their haggis, neeps and tatties, the Irish have McCarthy’s in Tooting for their spice bags, Taytos and chicken fillet rolls (not to mention the myriad of Irish pubs), but for Welsh Londoners missing the taste of home, options have been severely lacking. That is until now. London is getting a brand new cafe focused on produce from the most overlooked of the Celtic nations.
Bara (the Welsh word for ‘bread’) will open at 44-46 Choumert Road in Peckham next month. As far as we know, it’ll be the capital city’s first cafe fully dedicated to championing Welsh grub. Expect shellfish from Pembrokeshire, cheese from Caerphilly, beer from Portmadog, salt from Anglesey and coffee from Carmarthenshire.
Bara’s menu features a lineup of hearty sandwiches, including one inspired by a traditional Swansea breakfast. It’s stuffed with cockles, dry-smoked streaky bacon, leeks cooked in butter and a spoonful of laverbread which is a Welsh delicacy made by cooking seaweed down to a paste.
There’s also a lobster roll (pictured above), a ‘Caerphilly Cheesesteak’ made with eight-hour smoked Welsh beef brisket, brown crab rarebit and Welsh honey butter pancakes. From 7.30am on weekdays there’ll be breakfast options like traditional bara brith (tea bread) and a leek bubble and squeak, egg and cheese focaccia.
When it comes to drinks, there’s still and sparkling water from the Welsh mountains, Tiny Rebel Welsh lager, Gaza Cola, coffee sourced from Coaltown Roasters in former mining town Ammanford, and a wine list featuring a traditional method Welsh sparkling wine.
Bara was founded by by South Wales-born Cecily Dalladay (who competed on Masterchef: The Professionals) and former head chef of Clapham’s Pique Cafe, Zoë Heimann. Once open, the pair intend to set up a chefs-in-residency schedule, partner with local food banks, launch an entry to work scheme to support marginalised groups facing unfair barriers to jobs and offer vouchers to make the their cafe accessible to everyone in the community.
Co-founder Cecily Dallady said: ‘As a proud Welshwoman I am keen to shine the spotlight on the incredible produce coming out of Wales. I feel like as a nation Wales is underrepresented in the food scene in London and I’m excited to showcase these exceptional suppliers. Our food and coffee tastes better, because the ingredients and suppliers that create them do so with care and attention.’
The cafe doesn’t fully open until Valentine’s Day, but it’ll be handing out free (yes, free!) Caerphilly cheesesteaks and vegan focaccias filled with smoked tofu and shittake XO in celebration of Welsh Valentine’s Day (St Dwynwen’s Day) on Saturday January 24.
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