Mabel Bakery to open this weekend in Downham Market
A couple who are setting up an artisan bakery in Downham are due to open on Saturday so customers can enjoy an array of bread, pastries and cakes.
Mabel is set to open in the centre of town opposite the clock and hope to give visitors the chance to enjoy speciality sourdough loaves, croissants and French viennoiseries.
The team behind Mabel are partners Dan Frazer and Downham-born and bred Lucy Peacock, who named the bakery after their beloved Jack Russel Mabel.
Dan has worked in some of the best bakeries in Europe including Ottolenghi where he was a pastry chef and London's Pophams where he was head baker.
Most recently Dan was Head Baker at Lille, one of Copenhagen’s bakeries, where the pair lived for two years, before moving back to Downham Market to set up Mabel.
Dan said: “Downham is a beautiful, historic town with lots of hidden gems and we're excited to bring something different to the already thriving independent business scene.
“Our location in the heart of the town on the iconic Market Place means we’re perfectly placed to be a central hub for the community.
“We’ve been around the world perfecting our craft, but the dream was always to come back to the UK, be closer to our family and build something special for people to enjoy.”
Dan’s culinary creations are featured on his Instagram page ‘The Bearded Baker’ which has a global community of thousands of foodies.
A communal table in Mabel offers residents the chance to enjoy a coffee and one of many baked goods.
Lucy has a background in hospitality operating and opening new international bar sites for BrewDog, including Hong Kong, Barcelona and Helsinki. She most recently worked in a creative agency in London, focusing on branding and marketing.
She said: “Mabel is the combination of both our skills, experience and passion - to see it come to life is really a labour of love. We’re bringing Dan’s world-class baking-skills with my background in setting up and running successful hospitality sites.
“We work really well together as a team. We often joke that I'm the team manager but Dan is the star player. And for those asking ‘who’s Mabel?’ - she's our Jack Russell.”
The team has been renovating the site since December ready for launch, and has already been driving excitement in town with its creative festive window display and progress updates online, gaining more than 1,000 followers on Instagram.
Mabel will be open from 8am-2pm Thursday to Sunday.
