Kingsbridge: The Old Bakery

Kingsbridge is the local market town. At least, it used to be the market town, but where I remember the cattle market to have been is now a bus terminus as well as the 'Town Square'. It sits at the head of the ria* six or more miles from Salcombe by boat but 10 minutes by car. As the market town it's where we do the main shopping whilst we are here. Fore Street boasts the fishmonger 'Catch of the Day', Lidstone's the butchers and Alan's Apple greengrocery (about all of which more in a later post). Our visit to Kingsbridge was to buy local fruit from Alan. But first we need lunch.

At the bottom of the town, where the creek ends, there a a number of Georgian properties and the associated Georgian stabling in tiny mews running behind the buildings. We were headed down one of these mews to Pig Finca Cafe but when we arrived - Pig Finca was gone. In its place had arisen 'The Old Bakery'. The young man and I agreed that this was an inappropriate name (even though the building had been a bakery in the early twentieth century). The Old Bakery sounds like a nice place for tea. What we found was anything but genteel. It turns out that The Old Bakery is a tapas bar. A laid-back, funky, eccentric and rather cool tapas bar with a kitchen that's as sharp as two bright pins.

Apparently this enterprise replaced Pig Finca last year but, with a summer that was washed out, we were here only a short while before we escaped to Turkey to go sailing. So we missed it. But this means they are bedded in and they seem to be surviving. This is good because they are serving some delicious and (for Kingsbridge) adventurous food. Persuaded to stay for lunch the young man and I had scrambled eggs, potatoes and morcilla; a ration of Boquerones - home marinated and a ration of four spanish cheeses - beautifully kept and ripened - with a round of their fresh home baked bread. (Focaccia and rough brown - the sourdough was finished). I have trouble at home getting the wife to eat morcilla so I was impressed that the young man enjoyed it. I'm even more impressed that The Old Bakery can keep this on the mainstream tapas menu here. So far so good.

But there's more. They are also open in the evenings from Wednesday to Saturday. Wednesday is 'Paella Night' and Thursday to Saturday feature an à la carte menu. This week's menu promises amongst other delights a 'torchon of pigs head' - an ingenious combination of the cheeks, ears and skin in a kind of pressed sausage that is first boiled then fried. With line caught Cod and local Crab, Lobster and dive caught scallops from Charlie Yeoward, this has to be worth try - and we will. A sample menu is here

There's also breakfast from 9.00 am which promises 'Baked breakfast of chorizo, morcilla, piquillo peppers, eggs, grilled bread' as well as full English and a Greek Breakfast...I really can't wait! Brunch menu is here.

Inside these mews properties the space are varied and eccentric. The Old Bakery is furnished with an eclectic mix of table and chairs together with big sofas and coffee tables and dressed with 60's lights, Objet trouvé and driftwood...it's really rather fun.

The chef/patron is Giorgio. He was only too willing to talk about the food, his suppliers and to reveal the secrets of his 'torchon' recipe. All in all the whole team seem really comitted to making the place work. We hope they do.

The Old Bakery

Promenade
Kingsbridge, TQ7
01548 855 777

*Ria: Salcombe Harbour is a ria - a sea inlet. There are no significant rivers at the heads of the various arms of the harbour. The whole area is sea water and tidal. This creates an important and unusual ecology and the whole ria is an SSSI due to the important habitats and feeding grounds for sea birds and the various unusual plants and animals that live in the intertidal zone.