An independent bakery and coffee shop is to open at Green Park.
The Street Bakeshop has been in Old Basing since mid 2020 and has won a host of awards since. Now owner Tim Goodwin plans to open a further location at the vacant former Zest restaurant in Lime Square.
Tim (pictured left), who grew up in South Africa, and has run a catering business in the UK, started The Street Bakeshop in an old bakery and now plans to open at Green Park in October, with the aim of attracting both workers on the park and people further afield.
Once fully operational he hopes to employ up to 25 people at Green Park.
Rory Carson, director of Green Park owner Mapletree, said: “We’re delighted to welcome The Street Bakeshop to Green Park. Tim and his team have built an incredible coffee shop and artisan bakery brand, alongside their shared commitment to sustainability and excellence.
“As we continue to expand our already outstanding food and beverage proposition, we want to offer our occupiers the very best amenities. Which is why partnering with a local, independent business like The Street Bakeshop, with its relaxed coffee shop environment and exceptional cakes, pastries and sandwiches, makes this a perfect addition to life at Green Park – one we’re confident is going to be hugely successful.”
Amid the hectic preparations for the new Bakeshop, Tim took time out to take part in a Q&A for Thames Tap:
Can you give a brief summary of where you grew up, trained and came to be running The Street Bakeshop?
I grew up in South Africa. My parents owned a butchery, bakery and take-away while I was growing up, so my first exposure to baking was when I was 10. I have been into food ever since.
First, I worked at food events around South Africa and then, here in the UK, I got into corporate catering and ran my own catering business for many years.
Alongside my business, in 2005, I got into sourdough baking because I couldn’t digest commercially made bread. But bread making at that point was entirely personal. We eventually decided that we wanted to make our own bread for the catering business, too.
So we found the building in Old Basing that had been a bakery since the 1850s but that hadn’t been baking bread for a while. We decided that it would be fantastic to bring bread making back to Old Basing. From there, we started the Bakeshop on the 15th of August 2020.
How do you differentiate your operation from other bakeries/coffee shops?
Running a bakery, a good bakery is incredibly difficult, we differentiate ourselves by pushing ourselves to make an absolutely fantastic product and to offer fantastic customer service. I know that sounds a bit too basic, but it pretty much is that simple.
We really set the bar incredibly high for the food that we are happy to serve to our customers, and the level of service we offer. I think that differentiates us from a lot of other bakeries, along with making sure that we are staying on trend and that we have the right skills in the business. So really, really, skilful people making really, really wonderful products.
How did you become aware of the empty Lime Square unit and what made that unit exciting? It’s been empty a long time.
I was initially contacted by an agent in Reading who let me know that that unit was empty and to ask whether I’d be interested in it. I picked up the conversation from there. Yes, the unit had been empty for a long time but what attracted me to it was its setting. It’s a great unit, with glass half the way around the building, sitting on the corner of a pond. It is convenient to get to and it has a lovely courtyard to sit in, as well as great parking facilities.
Green Park itself is looked after so well by the landlord, so it’s a fantastic place to come to and to have some delicious food and go for a walk. I’m excited about having a great offering there, that gives people a good reason to come engage with the space.
Who do you see as the customers?
Ohh that’s a broad question. The customers are people who value fantastic food. I think in terms of who we think will engage with the business, I’m hoping to see most of Reading, not all at once, but people who are excited by a fantastic food offering, who value quality and appreciate it.
We are hoping to engage with people who work at Green Park daily, we’re hoping to get regulars from that space, people who come in for a cup of coffee who we can get to know in the morning, for a pastry or a bite to eat for lunch. And then the broader Reading – people who value food; it will be a worthwhile journey for them to come and engage with us.
How many jobs will there be?
Between 20 and 25 I think once we’re in full swing. This will be made up of a front of house and back of house team members.
Given the state of the economy, and troubles of the office market, what gives you the confidence to launch at Green Park right now?
We’re not just targeting Green Park and the people who work at Green Park. We want others to feel welcome, too, to make the journey, to walk to us and come and spend some time here eating fantastic food.
We’re not relying on Green Park purely. Obviously, we’re hoping to be a great space for them as well to get some customers from there, but we do need to have an offering that’s special enough to draw people to the park, to come and park up and enjoy some great baked goods, which you’ll struggle to find, hopefully, nearby.
Do you have any reservations about opening an independent among many corporate businesses?
No, I think there’s a shocking scarcity of independent businesses and I think independence can offer something multiples can’t and that is a special product. Our job is to offer a truly special product like only an independent can, this has been evidenced at The Street Bakeshop in Old Basing.
If you offer a truly fantastic product, people will come from far and wide to engage with that product because it is so rare. I don’t think there’s any risk in opening an independent, in fact, I think it’s probably the less risky option of the two.
When do you hope to open?
We’re hoping to open late October. Watch this space….
Thames Tap has also learned a restaurant called The Switch Breakfast and Brunch is to open in Lime Square in the former WH Smith unit.
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