Tunbridge Wells Bicycle Bakery on Camden Road opens extended facilities today
Published: 12:00, 16 October 2016
For the last two years, Tunbridge Wells' Bicycle Bakery has been supplying customers with a range of cakes, pastries, breads, and savoury food to delight their tastebuds.
Now, the company, run by Jamie Tandoh, is expanding, and is set to open its newly extended premises today.
The bakery has been based in Camden Road since March 2014, and wanted to expand without leaving its current unit.
When the store next door became free, the business was quick to purchase it.
"When you launch any business you make compromises to fit into the space you have available.
"The chance to expand into the next door store allowed us to build our dream set-up to better cater for our retail and wholesale customers," a staff member explained.
The extension will give the bakery three separate production areas, which will allow staff to meet the demands of their ever-growing fan-base.
The three areas will be a wholesale bakery, and two kitchens - one for hot food and one for cold.
Mr Tandoh set up the business after spending 10 years working as a pastry chef, with a wish to combine his love for fine French patisserie and sourdough baking.
The renovation work has seen the bakery shut for a fortnight, but it has more than doubled the space available for customers to enjoy.
New equipment includes a chocolate tempering machine, and more specialist baking and pastry gadgets.
Most importantly however, the bakery has now found room for a customer toilet.
Mr Tandoh said: "Two and a half years ago I couldn't have imagined that we'd get this opportunity to expand our little show, but it was definitely time.
"As our regular customers will know we've been creaking at the seams for a while.
"We're so happy with the new look and hope everyone else likes it too."
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