Tomorrow morning, Monday 12th October, Bread Ahead opens its doors at 92–94 High Street, and Harpenden gets something it has quietly coveted for years: a proper bakery where the bread is actually made on the premises, rather than reheated with conviction.
For the uninitiated, Bread Ahead began at Borough Market in 2013 and built a following on sourdough and doughnuts that Londoners will happily queue in the drizzle for. This is its first UK bakery outside the capital, joining King's Cross, South Kensington and Wembley, with outposts as far afield as Dubai and, shortly, Manhattan's Upper East Side. Harpenden and the Upper East Side in the same press release. We'll try not to let it go to our heads.
Everything is baked fresh on site across a 2,500 sq ft space. Downstairs is an all-day café of around 40 covers serving breakfast, brunch and coffee alongside the bread, pastries, the famous Crème Brûlée Doughnut and, judging by the window, pizza. Upstairs is a dedicated baking classroom for hands-on workshops and private hire, with bookings for January 2027 classes expected to open before Christmas. Your annual resolution to "finally master sourdough" now has a postcode.
It's also the first site under a new owner-operator model. Emese Dombai Szucs, head chef at the Wembley branch for more than five years, has been handed the keys. She takes a share of the profits in return for a small royalty, with no personal capital required. It's a refreshingly decent way to grow a business, and it means the person running the place has a real stake in it.
The timing is bittersweet. Last month, founder Matthew Jones revealed that Borough Market won't renew the lease on the original site because the business has, apparently, become "too successful". Their loss may well be our gain.
Families get a book corner, buggy space and children's baking sessions over October half-term. Now, if only someone could bake a fix for that one wobbly paving slab that fires a jet of puddle water up your trouser leg every time it rains.
The Bread Ahead Cheat Sheet
- The Location: 92–94 High Street, Harpenden (AL5 2SP). Open from 7am to 6pm. More at breadahead.com.
- The Bake: Sourdough, artisan breads, pastries and doughnuts, all made on site, plus breakfast, brunch and coffee.
- The School: Upstairs classroom for workshops and private hire. January 2027 classes open for booking before the new year.