Bakery group Paul to open second site outside London
French bakery group Paul is to open a café in the Newbury Parkway shopping centre in Berkshire in April, as part of a wider expansion plan for 2015.
The 182 sq m, 32-cover site will be the group's second opening outside of London, and its 32nd UK location overall, after its Oxford café opened doors in December 2014.
It is also set to be the first of five new openings expected over the next 12 months.
Open all day, seven days a week, the café will serve the bakery's usual array of baked goods and sandwiches, as well as breakfast and brunch dishes such as oeufs á la coque (boiled eggs and soldiers); oeufs royale (two poached free-range eggs with smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce and toasted Campagne bread); brioche perdue (French toast with crème anglaise), and "les criques de gramat" (potato cakes with ham, cheese, tomatoes, and a free-range fried egg).
The group's standard afternoon tea will also be on offer, as well as a selection of charcuterie and cheese plates, and a wine list focused on small, French producers.
The shop will also sell the brand's usual bread, patisserie, viennoiserie, sandwiches, coffee, soups and pizza slices.
Jean-Michel Orieux, chief executive of Paul UK, said: "This is a very exciting time for Paul, and we hope that our arrival in Newbury will be a great addition to the busy shopping centre which welcomes thousands of visitors each year. We look forward to welcoming locals and tourists alike."
The group currently operates 30 sites across central London, plus its Oxford venue, and also opened its first proper French-style restaurant in July last year, in London's Covent Garden, with table seating at the rear and a bakery shop at the front.
