Baker & Spice

"We buy on quality and sustainability. We look at value, not at price, and that is what sets us apart"
– Yael Mejia, Founder, Baker & Spice

WHEN you go to Baker & Spice, you feel the love that goes into everything that comes out of the kitchen. Maybe it’s because the people who work there enjoy what they do, and are proud to be serving healthy, mouth-watering dishes. In their website, they call each working day an adventure, from procuring raw materials to whipping up a wholesome meal. The menus are simple – similar to what one might easily cook at home – but they are presented elegantly, and again, the fresh ingredients, and the fact that nearly everything (including catsup) is done in-house, makes a lot of difference.

Started as a food concept in London in 1995, Baker & Spice brought its magic to Dubai in 2009, when it opened its inaugural outlet at Souk Al Bahar – a dining and retail space with a view of the Burj Khalifa. Today, Baker & Spice has three outlets in Dubai and is all set at launching a fourth. This success lies in the concept that founder Yael Mejia has taken to heart.  She believes in using only fresh ingredients, including organic products in season, all sourced from local farmers. As a supporter of local organic farming, Baker & Spice holds a regular farmer’s market.

In a recent interview with Food Manufacturing Journal – Middle East & Africa, Ms Mejia talks about what truly differentiates the business from other great food joints in the region.

What is the inherent theme of Baker & Spice?

The inherent theme is that we sell only what we make ourselves in-house. We are the masters of our own destiny and we stand or fall on our skills. We make everything from scratch using ingredients which are carefully vetted for provenance and ethical credentials. Excellence is a state of mind in the business.

We don’t pretend to know everything, so we concentrate on what we do know. If it isn’t an excellent example in class, we don’t offer it to our patrons.

They say the heart of  the business is in its kitchen. They might as well be talking about the culture in Baker & Spice.

It says it all. We are a food business and everything starts in our kitchens. We don’t rely on anyone else to make anything for us, other than basic raw ingredients. If we want to use anything, we make it. One recent example is ketchup. When we decided to put a burger on the menu, we knew we had to have ketchup so we made it. At least we know what’s in it.

What prompted you to keep the current name?

This name is the name of my business in London which I established in ‘95. It was planned as a franchise of my business which has since sold. Despite the fact it was pinched by others around the world, it is still a good name which describes our priorities – baking and adding spice to our lives.
 

Since the food shop has a European  heritage,  how have you adapted to the Middle Eastern cultures?

It might have a European baking heritage but everything else is looked at through the eyes of a home cook 100 years ago.  We want to use what is here, and we don’t miss what belongs somewhere else.

Our kitchens are populated by thriving cooks and everyone is expected to contribute to the salad which is our food. When we arrived in the Middle East, several clichés had to come off the table. Two perfect examples are maple syrup, which we substituted for date syrup in many ofAir Jordan V Low Supreme