The Bertinet company is one of Bath’s most scrumptious
secrets, combining a fabulous cookery school, a mouth-watering bakery, and most
recently, a lovely little café on New Bond St Place. I can’t personally vouch for the classes, as my
funds haven’t quite stretched to that yet, but the café is a delight – flooded
with sunlight from wide windows overlooking the narrow bustling passages
between Parade Gardens and Milsom Street, and filled with the delicious aroma
of fresh bread wafting from the bakery downstairs.
Each table comes equipped
with a gorgeous little red toaster, so you can order a bucket of fresh bread
(their words, not mine), and savour it one warm slice at a time, slathered with
butter and preserves. Or you can sample one of the pastries - a friend of mine
speaks highly of the almond croissants – perhaps dipped in a bowl of hot
chocolate, just as the French do at breakfast time. If you’ve only got time to
pop into the bakery, make sure you grab some of the sourdough, made with
Bertinet’s own special ferment starter and perfect for making fabulous
sandwiches, or ask the friendly chaps behind the counter about the fresh
patisseries available that day.
This place is delectable – it oozes French taste and
sophistication like warm, melted butter, spread thickly on the comforting,
dependable toast of fine British ingredients. And after a simile like that, how
can you resist?
