A new bakery, café and events space named Baern, will open at Fife’s food and drink hub, Bowhouse, in spring 2022 with visitors to this month’s Christmas Market Weekend, given the opportunity to try some of the food out for the first time.
Hazel Powell and Giacomo Pesce will open Baern in March in the striking café and courtyard area of Bowhouse offering hyper seasonal, producer-led, locally sourced food and homemade drinks. The ever-changing menu will be directly influenced by the producers within the Bowhouse, as well as the surrounding area, showcasing the incredible produce the region has to offer.
A daytime menu will run Thursday to Sunday and will be based around sourdough bread, sweet and savoury pastry and a plated brunch/lunch menu. An evening menu will run for special events and will focus on a more refined small plate offering. The pair will also offer a deli selection to take away and homemade soft drinks, with everything focused on locally sourced and foraged ingredients.
Pop up suppers and visits from guest chefs also form a part in the plans, with the upstairs area ideally suited to hands-on food workshops and group activities. Baern’s events will introduce the community to some of the diverse network of chefs, producers, and suppliers who are helping to shape Scotland’s food landscape.
Visitors to the forthcoming Christmas Market Weekend at Bowhouse on 11th and 12th December, will have the chance to meet Hazel and Giacomo who will have a stand at the market, selling freshly baked breads, scones, pasties, pies and cookies. The menu at the weekend includes a menu of sourdough focaccias with Rosemary oil, white wine; Nduja, fennel seed and garlic honey; or New potato, purple sage and grape. There will also be scones made with Isle of Mull cheddar and burnt onion skin served with apple butter; Pork, harissa, sage and chestnut sausage rolls; Butternut Squash, chestnut mushroom and burnt lemon pasties; Almond and brown butter mince pies; and Rye, dark chocolate and sourdough cookies.
Hazel and Giacomo join a line-up of food producers and street food traders from Fife and beyond, as well as a carefully curated selection of craftspeople at this seasonal event.
Hazel and Giacomo are moving to Fife from The Secret Herb Garden Café & Bistro (Edinburgh), where they’ve honed their skills baking and using the produce grown on their doorstep. One of the only bakeries in Scotland to operate a true wood fired oven, sourdough baking will be central to Baern’s food, alongside dishes using ingredients produced locally, particularly by those makers based at Bowhouse: Scotland the Bread flours from the mill next door, organic beers and spirits from Futtle, meats from the butchery and organic vegetables from the field just behind the café.
The pair have worked across a number of restaurants and bakeries over the years:
Hazel trained at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland before going on to cook and teach at Ballintaggart in Perthshire. She then went on to be Head Chef at Fhior Garden Café, where she has been showcasing her love of vegetables through the amazing produce available in the gardens every day. Drawing from her experience as a chef and educator, as well her background in Fine Art, she will be the driving force in the kitchen at Baern, leading by example, promoting local suppliers and produce through her cooking.
Formerly a scientist, Giacomo is now a chef and baker with a particular interest in sourdough and all things flour. Previously in charge of the pastry section at Fhior, he developed his bread skills at Twelve Triangles before joining Hazel at Fhior Garden Cafe. His love for experimenting and for pushing the boundaries between classic and modern flavour is a key factor in the unique approach to food which characterise Baern’s approach.
Hazel Powell said:
“Giacomo and I cannot wait to open Baern at the Bowhouse. We’re both really passionate about Scottish produce, sustainability and supporting small producers, so we really couldn’t be in a better location, or in better company. We can’t wait to join this incredible community of food in Fife.”
Baern is named for the café’s barn location with a nod to the ancient Scottish grain, beremeal.
Those shopping for local food and drink can also make use of the Bowhouse Link weekly online market on the Open Food Network, which enables customers to continue shopping from local makers for pick up at Bowhouse or local delivery. Customers can shop Monday to Wednesday from a range of selected producers. Orders are then packed for delivery or pick up at the market on the Saturday and Sunday. Visitors to the Market Weekends can use the Bowhouse Link service to pre-order before browsing the market stalls.
Based on Balcaskie Estate, Bowhouse opened in 2017 to provide the missing link between farm and fork, with a mission to connect maker with consumer.
Find out more about Bowhouse at bowhousefife.com or on twitter, facebook or instagram.
Bowhouse Farm, St Monans, Anstruther, Fife, KY10 2DB.
Bowhouse Market Weekends adhere strictly to Scottish Government Coronavirus guidelines with hand sanitiser points available throughout and contactless payment encouraged. Facemasks must be worn inside the Market Hall. Dogs are as always, welcome outside but not in the market hall.
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