Surrey


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where"><strong>WHAT? WHERE?</strong> </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond.jpeg" alt="Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe shopfront in Richmond" class="wp-image-35309" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond-720x480.jpeg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond-150x100.jpeg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/09/Bakery_Swiss-Bread_Richmond-787x525.jpeg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>With the undeniably cool claim of being the only Swiss bread bakery in the whole of the UK, this café in Richmond has gained a loyal following of fans since it opened in early 2020. What you can expect is authentic and organic Swiss baked pastries and cakes plus a lunch menu that includes Swiss cheese fondue, quiches, Swiss toasties and homemade soup. Put the skinny jeans away, people, the food here is divine. And you&#8217;re going to want to sample a little bit of everything.</p>



<p>The café is owned and run by Andre and Tanja, both from Switzerland &#8211; Andre is from Zürich and Tanja from Bern. The pair have been best friends for more than 20 years. They studied together at Belvoirpark Hotelfachschule (a hotel management school) in Zürich, and spent their early career working for some of the world&#8217;s top hotels and restaurants.  </p>



<p>Since 2008, they&#8217;ve supplied some of London&#8217;s most exclusive hotels and restaurants via their company Swiss Bread. A bakery and café was the obvious next step.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>THE VIBE</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669.jpeg" alt="Chalet style decor at Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe in Richmond" class="wp-image-43400" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-669-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s about as Swiss as it could possible be &#8211; chalet style with cute faux chocolate-box windows, rustic crates filled with logs, and even a cuckoo clock on the wall. The baked goodies are displayed in rustic timber crates along the counter which runs almost the length of the bakery.</p>



<p>There&#8217;s seating inside and out &#8211; the alfresco seating, under a red awning is kept cosy with sheepskin throws. At the rear of the café there&#8217;s a small deli section devoted to Swiss groceries that have been imported directly from Switzerland. You can order&nbsp;<a href="https://swissbreadshop.square.site/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online</a>&nbsp;for collection, or delivery.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s a busy and buzzy café which has unsurprisingly gained a large Swiss and German client base. The Deusche Schule, the only German school in London, is in Richmond so that also helps. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1709" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-scaled.jpeg" alt="Artisan baked goodies at Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe in Richmond" class="wp-image-43408" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-1000x668.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-2048x1367.jpeg 2048w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-662-786x525.jpeg 786w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<p>Where do I start? Firstly, the fondue &#8211; because it&#8217;s on the menu at the Swiss Bread Bakery for a limited time. Lovers of fondue, you&#8217;ll be in heaven! The pastries &#8211; both savoury and sweet &#8211; all look amazing. They&#8217;re baked fresh every day using traditional methods. There are also hot dishes including <em>Älplermakronen</em> (a Swiss version of macaroni cheese) and wurst and pretzel (Swiss grilled sausage in a sesame pretzel with sweet mustard).</p>



<p>I chose a traditional Swiss quiche &#8211; leek, bacon and cheese &#8211; with one of Andre&#8217;s famous salads. It was amazing. The quiche was exactly how it should be &#8211; perfectly crispy base with a gooey cheesy filling. The salad made me feel a bit better about the pastries I was going to devour later and was a lovely fresh accompaniment to the rich quiche. There&#8217;s a traditional Swiss soft drink called Rivella &#8211; a carbonated drink made with milk, which tastes a little of creamy soda. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685.jpeg" alt="Quiche and salad at Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe in Richmond" class="wp-image-43402" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-685-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The menu at Swiss Bread Bakery and Café also includes a tempting choice of hot chocolates. There&#8217;s a choice of white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and Toblerone chocolate, served with or without cream. I went for the dark chocolate, and yes, I topped it with cream. On the side, I had an apricot and almond tart. Gorgeously decadent and delicious pretty much sums up both. </p>



<p>My eyes being bigger (only just!) than my belly, I had intended to indulge more. But I couldn&#8217;t fit another thing in, so I did the next best thing and ordered pastries to take away &#8211; a Swiss chocolate cake, apple strudel and an apricot vanilla custard. Greedy, yes, but oh so worth it. Everything was divine.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694.jpeg" alt="Apricot and almond tart at Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe in Richmond" class="wp-image-43403" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-694-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>As well as tarts, cakes and croissants, the baked line-up at the Swiss Bread Bakery includes artisan breads (no less than 15 different types), plus rolls and pretzels. They&#8217;re baked with 100% non-refined organic Swiss flours. These include spelt, dark wheat rolls, weggli and semmel rolls, plus apple pockets, croissants, apricot and vanilla custards, hazelnut and cinnamon swirls. But they do sell out, so if you want your pick &#8211; get there early.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>KID-FRIENDLY?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>That saying, &#8220;like a kid in a sweet shop&#8221; pretty much applies here. And the traditional Swiss hospitality welcomes children with open arms.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707.jpeg" alt="Outdoor seating at Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe in Richmond" class="wp-image-43404" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/11/Swiss-Bread-Bakery-707-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>AND DOGS, TOO?</strong></h2>



<p>Yes, dogs are welcome too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DISABILITY ACCESS</strong></h2>



<p>The bakery is all on one level with step-free access. And it&#8217;s also worth knowing that parking is plentiful and free.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>OUT &amp; ABOUT</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="563" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs-.jpeg" alt="Naturalised bulbs in the gardens at Ham House in Richmond." class="wp-image-38579" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs-.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs--300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs--720x405.jpeg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs--150x84.jpeg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs--768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/03/NT-Ham-House-bulbs--900x507.jpeg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>The National Trust&#8217;s Ham House and Garden.</figcaption></figure>



<p>The National Trust&#8217;s 17th-century <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/ham-house-and-garden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ham House and Garden</a> is five-minutes away. And the bakery is on the <a href="https://www.visitrichmond.co.uk/outdoor-activities/thames-path-national-trail-p1596021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thames Path</a> a lovely walking or cycling route. <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Richmond Park</a> is also just a mile away. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>THE MUDDY VERDICT</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Lovers of authentic Swiss baking &#8211; or any baked goodies really. The café is a perfectly positioned pitstop for cyclists and walkers on the Thames Path to refresh and refuel. Swiss, German and Austrians missing a slice of home should certainly pay a visit.</p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> Carb-phobes should probably stay away. Although having said that the bakes are made using only high quality ingredients and are not overloaded with refined sugars.</p>



<p><strong>The damage:</strong> Prices range from a couple of pounds for a pastry or cake, around £9.90-11.50 for traditional Flammkuchen, £11.50 for <em>Älplermakronen</em>, £6.95 for Swiss toasties, £7.20 for homemade soup. The traditional Swiss cheese fondue is £19.90 per person for minimum of two people.</p>



<p><strong><em><a href="https://www.swiss-bread.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swiss Bread Bakery and Café</a>, 175 Ashburnham Rd, Richmond TW10 7NR</em></strong></p>


Review: Swiss Bread Bakery and Café, Richmond

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