Violet Cakes, the bakery behind Harry and Meghan’s magical wedding cake, is opening a wine bar in Hackney – and we can’t wait to try it.
Claire Ptak created the royal couple’s heavenly cake in spring last year, and the London Fields cake shop has had its customers drooling ever since.
The Californian baker knows us Londoners too well, and has decided to open an even bigger bakery, including a bar that will service our second favourite downfall – the sweet vino. Damn you, Claire, damn you.
But even if Claire’s cakes don’t do our waistlines much good, she strives to be good to some – baking with organic and low intervention ingredients. The Berkeley-baker is also renowned for her use of highly seasonal ingredients, such as cherries and blueberries in the summer, figs and apples in autumn, and oranges and grapefruit to ward off the cold of winter.
All this means we can expect a range of juicy, fruity, natural wines to follow – perfect for every season.
The bakery-to-be is located on the corner of Westgate Street and Mare Street, which explains its current lovely working name, Violet Corner. It is a two-floor site that will have space for 70 to 75 covers – meaning there will be plenty of space to enjoy the programme of wines and cocktails (YES!) currently being developed by Anna Frost from Columbia Road’s Brawn.
If you’re more of a foodie than a drinker, do not fear – this bakery-bar caters for all. A selection of toasties, quiches and salad will be available as lunch-time munch. (Alongside more cake, of course.)
The bakery-bar is expected to stay open until late (licence pending) so with any luck, we should be sitting in cake-baking, wining and dining heaven through the night. It seems our prayers have been answered.
The site is due to open its doors on the streets of Hackney next year, almost a whole decade after Claire opened Violet Cakes in 2010.
All-in-all, we can almost say for certain that, if the cake is anything to go by, the wine is sure to be divine.