Bread and Wine

The owners of award-winning Bristol tapas bar Bravas have announced details of their second opening in the city. Husband and wife team Kieran and Imogen Waite have taken over the site of the former Bishopston Trading Company on Gloucester Road and plan to open Bakers & Co in early 2014. A San Francisco-inspired brunch restaurant and café, Bakers & Co will encompass a daytime space and have a few hallmarks that have proved successful in Bravas, such us an open central kitchen, counter dining and vibrant food displays. The menu will have five choices, whether it is breakfast, brunch or lunch. The chalkboard lunch menu will change daily and the breakfast and brunch dishes will change regularly. Although the menu is still being devised, sample breakfast dishes will include maple, bacon and walnut sticky bun, and fried duck egg with chorizo migas. Brunch dishes will include smoked salmon, lemon and herb quinoa salad, soft-boiled eggs, and ‘Bakers eggs’ (tomatoes, peppers, chilli and fresh herbs). Lunch specials will include sandwiches, salads, tarts, a daily hot dish and the signature ‘Bakers toast’. Although Kieran and Imogen will be heavily involved in the day-to-day running of Bakers & Co, they will split their time between the new café and Bravas. The head chef at Bakers & Co will be Hayley Hastings, who is currently working a stage at Bar Tartine in San Francisco, an establishment that has inspired the new Bristol café. Sending Hayley to gain experience at the Californian café is part of Kieran and Imogen’s commitment to promoting and rewarding their staff, which they say is an important part of working for their company. “Since opening Bravas last April, we have taken every opportunity to promote staff. We have a young talented team who are passionate about hospitality and all of whom we have managed to retain. “Promoting people is great, it allows them to grow and take on more responsibility. We try to involve our team in everything and take them on annual trips to London and Spain, to visit vineyards and dine in top restaurants. “The same will apply to Bakers & Co. We booked flights for head chef Hayley to visit the city and dine in the type of places that are producing fresh, vibrant and delicious brunch menus and arranged a stage at Bar Tartine, sister restaurant to the famous Tartine bakery. “Other initiatives are providing complementary therapy such as acupuncture for complaints that may be caused by, or effect work, and invest in external and transferable training for professional growth.” Bakers & Co opens in January 2014 and you can follow its progress on Twitter @bakersandco and at www.bakersandco.wordpress.com