For many of us who baked our way through successive lockdowns, the eventual resumption of ‘normal’ service meant our sudden devotion to sourdough starters and banana bread was rather brief. But, for self-taught baker Matt and his partner Deborah, both originally from Brazil, it was only just the beginning.
What started as a way to pass the time in their one-bed flat in Ancoats during the pandemic turned into a real passion project, and initiated a new chapter for the couple in the form of their own bakery. Aptly known as The Flat Baker, the pair, who previously worked in the film industry, enjoyed whipping up Brazilian-inspired baked goods for their friends and neighbours so much that they decided to make a go of it and create a fully-fledged bakery selling to wholesalers and popping up at food markets across Manchester.
Naturally, the business quickly outgrew the flat, so when a site on Radium Street in Ancoats became available, they jumped at the chance to take the business to the next level. And this weekend, after months of prep, they’ve finally opened the doors, or rather windows, onto their new bakery studio.
“Matt always had this dream of opening this Brazilian-English restaurant and it had always been in the back of our minds,” explained Deborah. Then, when lockdown came, like a lot of people we had more time so we turned to baking and as we were doing it more, something just clicked.
“He was looking for a career change, it was something he likes doing, and he felt it was the right time to open his own business. But, when we were initially baking in the flat we didn’t know we were creating a business as such, it really did start as a fun thing in lockdown.
"We ended up buying a huge oven, which I squeezed into my cupboard space so I lost my closet - I was angry at first but it was for a good cause. We just started out by selling to friends and neighbours but it turns out I’m not a bad marketeer,” laughs Deborah. “I created an Instagram account and popped leaflets under doors and the message just spread really quickly from there.”
Starting with baked goods such as croissants, cronuts and tarts, the team then put their own creative spin on these creations, infusing them with a tropical twist. Whether it’s the passionfruit and lime meringue sweet tarts, banana and Nutella knots or boozy Brazilian brioche, The Flat Baker’s creations have cut through the crowd.
“The pistachio croissant is definitely our best seller - we’re Brazilian, so we like to go beyond the point when it comes to food. We bring a lot of toppings and flavours to the bakes and we decided to go with the filled croissants to reflect that. We’ve also got our churros version of the cruffin crossover, where we use use dulce de leche, and we also have our cheese bread from Brazil, which is gluten-free and made using cassava flour - it’s actually quite hard to source it here in Manchester so we get it straight from Brazilian suppliers and it’s a mixture of three different cheeses.”
Before working towards opening the shop, Deborah and Matt built up a number of wholesale clients across the city, supplying the likes of Factory Coffee on King Street, whilst also getting their name out by doing events such as the Makers Markets. “At first, we were worried about saying our food was Brazilian in case people didn’t like it, but the more we got out there and listened to people, the more we were welcomed and people were even more curious.
“Luckily, Manchester has welcomed us in such a warm way, it feels like a big hug. Everyone has been so helpful and many have recommended us to others,”
Now serving their tropical sweet treats out of the small hatch on Radium Street, Debs feels the new concept will bring her a step closer to forging a closer connection with the Manchester community. “One of our main pillars is building up a strong connection within our community because this is who we are and what our food represents.
“Food is about laughing around the table, hanging out with family and friends, and it’s about love - when you cook you just want to make someone happy. For people to know our story and to build our community, that is the most exciting thing. We want to show Manchester our culture, who we are and hopefully people will fall in love with it.
Open on Saturdays only, pastry lovers will be able to satiate their sweet tooth with many of The Flat Baker’s staples, as well as some newer additions such as the Polenta cake with guava - a tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical regions - and Brazilian carrot cake, topped with creamy brigadeiro (a type of chocolate truffle), which reminds them of many cherished childhood memories. For those looking for something a little more savoury, you can pick up one of their Brazilian loaded sandwiches as well as a variety of breads including focaccia, sourdough, cornbread and Pão de Queijo - cheese bread - alongside a variety of juices and coffees.
Despite the bakery being a full-time venture for the pair and their pastry chef Laura, who also happens to be Brazilian, Deborah still finds the time to take the lead on the ‘Brazilian Festa Junina Festival’ - a coming together of small Brazilian businesses and performers in Manchester to showcase the very best of the Brazilian community. She's been busy curating this year’s cultural festival, which takes place next weekend in Ancoats Cutting Room Square, working in collaboration with Ancoats Pop Up to make the occasion even bigger than before.
Much like The Flat Baker, for Deborah and Matt, Festa Junta is, at its heart, about creating community. While the pair may have only of moved to Manchester from Brazil four years ago, and despite lockdown posing a threat to communities across the region, the duo, armed with their very best Brazilian bakes in hand, have managed to build a community around their totally original bakery concept, and all from a tiny one-bedroom flat in Ancoats. Now, with a physical space officially open and further plans for expansion, the world really is their oyster.
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