We’ve got a treat for you! The fabulous Early Bird Bakey is opening in Kings Heath, bringing an array of delicious baked goodies! We know they’re going to fit in perfectly so to help you get to know our new neighbours that little bit better we were lucky enough to catch up with the Early Bird Bakery!
What can you tell us about The Early Bird Bakery and the team involved?
Our philosophy with the Early Bird is to bake and serve everything fresh on the same day using only the finest, and wherever possible, locally sourced ingredients. Our long-term goal is to be a business with a social conscious; providing real opportunities for people to work, learn and develop within the hospitality sector. We have a strong passion for developing new talent and want to use the Early Bird kitchen to provide a platform for new food ideas and enterprises.
Tim Coward, our head pastry chef, has worked in the industry for the last ten years. His career began in Birmingham and from here he has travelled the world working in Australia and Malaysia. His background is in 5* hotels and he has run the pastry kitchen at some of the most prestigious hotels in the UK.
Tim C moved back to Birmingham in January 2017 and ran a stall selling his cakes and pastries at some of the local food festivals over the summer, including the Kings Heath street festival, Digbeth Dining Club and the Birmingham Coffee Festival. It was while he was running a stall at the Coffee Festival in 2017 that he met Tim Guidotti.
Tim G is the director of the award-winning garage Ferdotti Motors. Being of Italian heritage he has always had a passion for food and coffee, and coupled with his eye for developing new business and first class customer service, they decided to team up.
Tim’s brother, Joe, completes the founding Early Bird team. Joe has a background in business management and, like his brother, has a strong passion for food, coffee, and people – key values of the Early Bird Bakery.
We have also recently hired Emily, a pastry chef who specialises in vegan baking. We understand there is a demand for better vegan products, so she will be bringing her expertise in vegan cooking to enable us to provide delicious alternatives to the cakes and pastries we all love.
We’re also on the lookout for an experienced barista to join the team ready for when we open.
You have said that you have made a conscious effort to use recycled materials and local produce in your bakery, why is this such a big part of your business vision?
We believe that we should all play our part in reducing waste and as such we’ve been looking at ways we can be more ‘green’ in our business – whether this is using local suppliers to cut down on our carbon footprint or recycling where possible. This covers everything from the materials we use to build with to the food we sell.
Some of the initiatives we are looking at include recycling coffee grounds for local businesses, reusable coffee packaging from our local coffee roaster and discounts for customers using reusable coffee cups.
Why did you choose to open your business in Kings Heath?
There is a growing independent food scene in Kings Heath, which is something we have admired both from running stalls there and from visiting the markets and festivals in the area. We love how the high street is busy, thriving and lively and has real character, which is something that is missing from many high streets around the country.
When are you hoping to be open for business?
We are looking to open around Mid-November, with a launch party happening around the same time. Date TBC.
What is your favourite thing about Kings Heath?
There is a real sense of a neighbourhood and community feel to Kings Heath, and it’s something that we are really excited to be a part of.
You started an Indiegogo page to help get donations for you to help build your bakery, how well is that going?
We’ve raised about 40% of the funds needed so far towards our baking equipment, so we’re happy with the progress and very appreciative of the support we’ve been receiving on social media. We still have a little way to go to reach our target, and in return, we are offering a number of rewards ranging from coffee & cake to exclusive afternoon tea events and food hampers, which would be the perfect treat with Christmas just around the corner!
Have you always wanted to own your own bakery?
Yes – our pastry chef Tim has spent many years working in kitchens at luxury hotels and restaurants perfecting his pastry skills, but it was his experience working in Melbourne where the café scene is very vibrant that really sparked his interest into moving back to his home town and opening his own bakery.
What type of atmosphere are you aiming to create in your bakery?
We want to create a welcoming, neighbourly and joyful environment, where you can grab a pastry on your way to work; a casual brunch with friends, or a break with a coffee and kids’ milkshake after a busy day of shopping.
We hope that the diversity of our menu appeals to a wide range of people and that everyone feels welcome. We will always be open to feedback from our customers and will be experimenting with new ideas and bakes to keep things fresh.
Where do you get your inspiration from, are they your own recipes?
It’s a mixture of our own recipes and ideas from pastry chefs we’ve worked with in the past. We are also very inspired by things we see on Instagram from top pastry chefs and will often try to recreate some of these by adding our own touch.
What can we expect from Early Bird Bakery?
Great food, great coffee, and great service!
What’s your favourite baked treat?
Tim C – Canelé or egg custard tart
Tim G – Kouign-amann
Joe – Cinnamon bun
Emily – Banana cake made with coconut milk and caramel
What do you think will be your best selling treat?
Carrot cake – it was the cake that formed the partnership between Tim C & Tim G and gets the best feedback from friends and family!
Where can we find out more about the Early Bird Bakery?
We have a website https://theearlybirdbakery.co.uk and we are active on Facebook (theearlybirdbakery), Instagram (@theearlybirdbakery) and Twitter (@EB_Bakery).
If you would like to pledge to our Indiegogo page please visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-early-bird-bakery-kings-heath-birmingham/