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tion to supply one of two other small units somew
here else. That’s the plan, I suppose. If we get good footfall, and we do good business here, that would be a bit of a bonus, but the reason why we’re here is the planning permission that was in place with Arran Street East, which fit us like a glove. And what are your plans going forward? Can we look forward to wine bars and supper clubs, or something more conservative? We’ll have a couple of different types of sandwiches, perhaps even as far as soup! Depending on how things go, we may look into doing something very simple at night time. We’re very happy with what we have here at the moment, though there are a few bits and pieces in the pipeline. Things like the pies and savoury options we have in Phibsborough, and some lunch offerings. Was Oxmantown your first venture, with the noble intention of serving the best sandwich in Dublin? We just wanted to do a good job. I had worked as a chef for some years in various places and hotels. Soon after my daughter was born, working weekends and nights was tough going. I didnt want to work those hours at the behest of somebody else, but I needed an income, so I took a punt on that. Then we opened Cotto, a pizzeria in Stoneybatter, and after that Oxmantown in Smithfield. There’s a scene in Intermission with Cillian Murphy and Colin Farrell, which was shot there, and another film called Adam & Paul, which shot a scene there. Maybe that could be a headline, “Handbag Robbery Inspires Cafe”. The neighbours there are brilliant. I’m always saying we should just stick a hole through the wall. Save them some time. It would be fair to say that your delectable confections are the most widely shared thing about Elliots. That would have been part of Amie’s side of this. I don’t know where she comes up with ideas like sesame cream. Generally, our inspirations come from eating out in different places, on holidays and that kind of thing. Also, of course, following inspirational people on Instagram. And how did you both learn to create these things? Inspiration is one thing, but the skill to achieve it is another. A lot of what I do would have been influenced by my background as a chef. Aime only really started baking with Elliot’s. That would have been her first time baking. I suppose she started from baking stuff at home, but she would have no experience in restaurants or bakeries. She’s done a really incredible job by any standard. She’s running and producing and creating all the pastries, which are arguably the most interesting aspect of the whole thing, and certainly what gets the most attention. With no formal training whatsoever, and being entirely self taught, she’s done a brilliant job.The aesthetics are on point, she has a background in fashion so she has a great eye, and a great palate. Very good at putting flavour and combinations together. Sometimes I never get to taste the things we serve, because they 26 sell so quickly. The other day, we had someone who gave us a two star review because we had sold out of stuff by 12 on a Saturday. Did you start Elliot’s start because of bread or because of cake? Going back to the beginning of Oxmantown, there were occasionally issues with bakeries. You’d be left with stuff sometimes of inferior quality, or not enough. Ultimately, it was born of frustration and having a little background with bread myself. That’s where the seed originally germinated. When we ran the pizzeria, we had tried but never got to a point where we could supply the cafes. When I saw the bakery in Phibsborough, we jumped on the opportunity to get in there and start doing our own. Little did we know it would be as successful as it has been, so everything we make there keeps going out the door. Even now, we’re still buying stuff from two other bakeries while we get Arran Street to a point where we’re producing everything for ourselves. Does bread scratch that creative urge, as a chef? I think delving into sourdough in the pizzeria, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. When you get into sourdough, it’s really addictive. It’s one of the most satisfying things you can do in a kitchen. You have three ingredients, flour, water and a bit of salt, and you can produce something incredible. It’s the closest thing to real alchemy you can find in a kitchen. It’s partially dictated by the local yeasts and bacteria. They can be specific even to different parts of Dublin, and can impart different characteristics to the bread. And how you treat your starter, and manage your starter too. You can use the exact same flour and the exact same water on this side of the city as somebody on the other side of the city, and it’s colonised by the wild yeast specific to this location, it may taste notably different. Can you tell me about your reaction to the recent budget announcements? It seems to me the only people who suffer are independent businesses like yourselves and the Fumbally. It doesn’t matter to people with large backing, but places like Milo’s and Wuff have closed in the wake of the budget. You’ve hit on an important point. I feel passionately that there should be a distinction between them. I think that the media like LovinDublin and yourselves should have a much bigger emphasis put on the fact that some places are independently owned. There’s a lot of places that give the impression that they are, but if you ask the question of if they have an investor… I have seen more than a few of those. As soon as you know there’s a partner, you know that there are arbitrary targets that need to be hit, and arbitrary margins. They’re dictated by an investor, and obviously there’s a scale, when you get into places like chain places, Press Up Group or any of those behemoths. They only exist to make money. To meet numbers. And Oxmantown has always been an independent venture. “Press Up Group or any of those behemoths. They only exist to make money. To meet numbers.” I worked as a chef, and I did the hard hours. I managed to put a few quid together to get the first place, which had been a cafe already, so it was a little more affordable. We’ve never had a backer, never had a partner, or anyone we had to answer to. It’s a drop of poison, to an extent, if society wants a vibrant, independent, forward looking and creative dining experience. How do you think it would be, opening a first business in this climate? It’s still possible. It’s harder for sure. It’s still possible for somebody with passion to do it. And that want and desire to share stuff with people, the things that you’ve discovered, the things that you’re passionate about. That’s the best kind of motivation to start something. And I think from a customer perspective, that’s what makes the best experiences. Elliots Bakery & Cafe opens Tues - Sat 8:30am-3pm 43-44 Arran Street East, Dublin 7.