A new family-run bakery in Neath is set to open its doors next month. Rosa's Bakery will offer artisan bakes with a Romanian twist and the talented chef behind it all is 17-year-old Rosa Cundill from Coed Darcy.
As a toddler, Rosa served up cakes made out of plasticine to her mum, dad and grandma and throughout her childhood, Rosa learnt how to make Romanian recipes from her mum Rosana Cundill, 38, who is originally from Bucharest. Having discovered her passion for baking and her love of Romanian food at a young age, she is now set to open her own bakery with her parents and younger brothers at her side.
"I was definitely influenced by my mum’s Romanian heritage. We have an inside joke in our family because whenever we come across good food mum says ‘it must be a Romanian who cooked this’," said Rosa who has lived in Wales all her life but visited Romania on family trips. The young baker will be serving up organic breads, pastries, cookies and cakes from her bakery in Shufflebotham Lane, Neath with the help of her parents and said she is excited to make people smile with her bakes but she is also feeling a bit nervous. You can read more stories about Neath here.
Read more: Wagamama in Swansea is giving out free meals this month to those most in need
Rosa's father Chris Cundill, 38, said his daughter has wanted to be a pastry chef for years and the family were inspired to take the plunge by another bakery run by a teenager and her dad- the Orange Bakery in Watlington, Oxfordshire. The Watlington bakery now has a cult-following and opened in 2019 when baker Kitty Tait was just 14-years-old. "Comparatively, seventeen seems like it's a comfortable age!," joked Rosa's dad Chris.
Chris, who is the director of an IT consultancy, hopes Rosa's Bakery will be ready to open in February as works are ongoing to transform their Neath-based unit into a large commercial kitchen and bakery. The family will supply local businesses and customers can visit the bakery to eat-in or take-away. The bakery will also offer deliveries with a unique "eco-delivery" option where bakes will be sent out on electric cargo bikes to those within a 5km radius of Neath.
After completing her GCSEs early, Rosa trained to bake at The Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School in Bath. Having also volunteered in a bakery in Romania, she said she loves to bake croissants, pain au chocolat, apple strudels and cinnamon swirls. "I love the craft of making bread, especially dividing and shaping the dough. I’m really happy that I’ve mastered bagels and pretzels," she added. "In the future, I’d like to focus on making beautiful patisserie products. I’m excited that the bakery is a place I can experiment and be creative... I love to dream up new ideas," she said.
Eldest child Rosa has two brothers and a little sister who she said "gobble up" everything she makes. Her 16-year-old brother Reuben will be helping her out in the bakery in his spare time. Rosa's mum Rosana is interested in nutrition and the tasty treats on offer at the bakery will be lower in sugar, locally-sourced, unrefined and organic.
On his daughter's love of baking, Chris said: "She's held onto this passion for all these years. Rosana and I are delighted now to come alongside her and help her launch the business."
Read more:
- New milk and milkshake vending machines open in Swansea city centre
- The Welsh restaurants that celebrities love to eat in
- Man becomes first person to complete a £60 mixed grill challenge
- The tiny Welsh restaurant booked up months in advance that Marco Pierre White raves about
- Vegan pie business The Pie Box to open permanent shop in Cardiff
