After our weekly Saturday morning Rye News editorial meeting, my intention was to follow up my previous article A taste of Cornwall coming soon as the Cornish Bakery (previously Rye Shoes) at 86 High Street was finally open and my task was to get an interview with the team.
Full of good intentions I arrived at said venue only to witness a steadily moving queue of customers both inside and outside the shop and I quickly concluded that the last thing the hard working team would want to do would be to stop work and talk to me!
Instead, I wanted the photos to do the talking but if I could have captured the aroma coming out of the open door and bottled it, I'm sure it would give some of the designer perfume brands a run for their money. The smell of fresh coffee, cakes and savoury pastries was intoxicating, the smart new seating area was very busy, families, couples and customers of all ages enjoying their morning treats whilst soaking up the atmosphere.
The young team behind the counter were coping well with the constant stream of customers, tempted inside by the mouth watering window display with a great selection of cakes, scones and 'naughties', savoury pastries and of course their trademark Cornish pasties. You can take all their food and drinks away with you if you choose but for a little extra (average is 40p for food) you can sit and enjoy your visit inside, what's not to like?
I had plans to write then prepare a story and see if I could persuade Paul Goring our favourite town crier to pose outside the shop, sampling the first pasty to be served, but it was not to be (sorry Paul, the thought was there) but having witnessed the activity at first hand, I have no doubt this new venture will be a hit. The owners have invested a lot of time effort and money in making these premises and experience one to remember and thankfully, an otherwise tired and outdated shop front (see below) has been revitalised bringing further much needed footfall to the High Street.
Cornwall is of course very popular for many reasons, not just its famous pasties which it has been exporting for years but the coast of north Cornwall has been the chosen location for the hugely popular TV drama Poldark and the Doc Martin TV series. Exporting pasties across the UK under the Cornish Bakery concept seems to be proving equally as popular.
