Kennedy and Rhind Bakery in Jesmond

North East artisan bakery Kennedy and Rhind has been on a roll since opening its doors in Jesmond, Newcastle.

The shop and café has gone from strength to strength since its launch last year, with its creative takes on classic recipes winning over customers.

Chefs David Kennedy and Murray Rhind opened the bakery at the former Cal’s Own premises at Jesmond’s Holly Avenue West, selling a wide selection of signature dishes and bakes such as their ‘nayy gap sausage roll’ and ‘chocolate challenge croissant’.

“We have been incredibly lucky to have been inundated with interest from the moment we launched the brand,” said David, a former North East Chef of the Year who has worked at leading hotels and restaurants across the UK.

“We constantly feature new recipes and flavours on our menus, creating dishes that are seasonal and use local suppliers and produce.”

As well as the shop in Jesmond, the chefs’ savoury and sweet treats can also be found at The Blackbird, in Ponteland, every Saturday from 10am.

Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Located in the heart of Jesmond, the bakery and café is a warm, vibrant and welcoming space to sit down with a coffee, grab something from the bakery to go or catch up with friends and family over one of the delicious offerings from the specials board.

Along with indoor and outdoor seating, the venue has a large upstairs space which the pair plan to use for various food events in the future.

On The Menu

From crusty sourdough loaves to decadent sweet tarts and pies filled to the brim with quality ingredients, David and Murray do not disappoint when it comes to flavour.

There are a signature selection of breads, including sourdough and focaccia, and chocolate and sour cherry.

Pastries include an array of flavoured croissants, brownies, benedict slices and meringue tarts.

And when it comes to savouries, expect steak, mushroom and red wine pie, ham and pease pudding pie and spiced chickpea wraps.

Kennedy and Rhind Bakery Jesmond — Delicious Treats From The Bakery. Image By Scobberlotchblog

Plus, the chef prepared heat and eat range has been extremely popular, with fillet of beet Wellington, North Shields fish pie and pan-roasted corn-fed chicken breast with morels and peppercorn sauce.

Meet The Chefs

David Kennedy

A former North East Chef of the Year with more than three decades of experience in the food industry, David Kennedy started his career working in restaurants at leading London hotels Grosvenor House, Park Lane and The Halkin, at Belgravia.

Since moving to the North East, David has worked at many of the region’s top venues such as 21 Queen Street and The Apartment, along with opening his own award-winning chain of restaurants.

He is passionate about reinventing and modernising classic dishes using seasonal, locally-sourced and foraged ingredients, as well as experimenting with vegetarian and vegan recipes to be able to cater for all customers.

Not only does David create main dishes for a number of local restaurants that Kennedy and Rhind supply, but he is also responsible for many of the bakery’s savoury options.

Murray Rhind

There aren’t many skills Murray doesn’t have in the kitchen, thanks to 26 years as a chef in the Armed Forces where he received a rounded culinary education covering everything from pastry to butchery.

After leaving, he worked briefly as an agency chef before joining the Sir John Fitzgerald Group, where he discovered a passion for artisan bread when he took part in a masterclass with celebrated Australian pastry chef Dan Lepard.

Whilst working for the group he founded two of their popular bakeries, including the one at Café Royal, at Nelson Street, and has also worked for a number of restaurants including at Vallum Farm and 31 The Quay, at North Shields.

As one half of Kennedy and Rhind, Murray is the brains behind the bakery’s breads and sweets, creating delicious treats such as Portuguese tarts, cinnamon swirls and Danish pastries.

Wholesale

Kennedy and Rhind can supply your business with a variety of freshly baked goods and fine foods to serve to your customers.

The chefs will work with you to deliver products to suit your brand, with a huge range including everything from sumptuous meat pies to rich chocolate desserts, fluffy brioche buns and popular artisan loaves.

And along with the signature bakery items, businesses can also request vacuum packed main dishes – ready for chefs to finish and plate up on site.

These include braised shoulder of lamb with root vegetables, fresh rosemary and a finished sauce, oxtail lasagne with fresh horseradish, slowly cooked pork confit and Holme Farmed venison with smoked bacon, red wine and thyme.