The artisan bakes at a top Jesmond venue are selling like, well, hot cakes, sparking the launch of a new, customercentric initiative.
It is a frequent complaint in the business world that there aren’t enough hours in the day – and Kennedy & Rhind at Holly Avenue West know that better than most.
From the day they opened their bakery and café, demand for the hand-crafted pastries and savouries lovingly made by David Kennedy and Murray Rhind has been high – and it shows no signs of slowing down.
And, now the hard working pair have decided to not only extend their opening hours but also to introduce an evening service – to ensure no customer goes away empty handed.
As well as selling freshly baked goods on a daily basis and at a number of pop-ups – including Jesmond Food Market and regularly at the awardwinning Blackbird pub At Ponteland – Kennedy & Rhind’s café has become a firm fixture on the Jesmond dining scene.
And with that in mind, the café has now extended its opening hours on Fridays and Saturdays until 8pm, offering a new and expanded menu but with all of the usual favourites still on offer. From Sundays through to Thursday the café will be opening until 5pm, again in response to the demand by customers.
The new menu includes light bites featuring dishes such as carpaccio of beef with a rocket, tomato and parmesan salad, whipped cod roe, fennel, dill and watercress salad served with sourdough and a vegan soba noodle salad with crispy tofu and soy and sesame dressing.
Big bites include spatchcock harissa and lemon chicken with souk roast root veg and a confit and herb salad, a blackened roast salmon, black beans and Mediterranean vegetables with an avocado and mango salsa, along with a vegan curry option.
There will also be a selection of boards available to share, including meat, fish and a vegetarian option.
The desserts include a burnt Basque cheesecake, iced Ferrero semifreddo and a strawberry frangipane pudding and custard.
”From day one we’ve always had a plan to make Kennedy & Rhind an all-day location as well as offering the retail side,” said David.
”And now we’re well on the way to do that. People tell us that we’re a great spot for good food in a friendly and casual atmosphere, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve.”
But the plans don’t stop there, with the aim of introducing a Sunday lunch service in the next few weeks