Good morning
A quiet three days on the wires, but one genuinely significant arrival dominates: Harpenden has landed a name that London foodies will recognise. Below that, a smaller sign of life on Grove Road.
The big story
Bread Ahead picks Harpenden for its first bakery outside London
The Borough Market bakery and baking school is taking over the old Jacksons Plumbing unit at 92-94 High Street, opening on 12 October. It's Bread Ahead's first branch outside London since it launched at Borough Market in 2013, and the 2,500 sq ft site will run an all-day bakery and dining space downstairs with a baking school classroom upstairs. Workshops start in January, with children's activities planned for the October half-term. For a High Street that has seen its share of empty units, a brand with this kind of following choosing Harpenden over anywhere else in the country is worth noting on its own terms. READ →
Openings & closings
New restaurant Sarakh registers on Grove Road
A new food business called Sarakh has registered as a restaurant near Harpenden station, at 2 Grove Road. It's awaiting its first hygiene inspection, which is the usual marker of a genuinely new opening rather than a change of hands. No word yet on cuisine or opening date. READ →