Mark Fitch is in search of the real Danish pastry experience - and finds it in Norwich
For this edition I’m going out on something of a Scandinavian limb; because if you like your Danish pastries packed with sugar and covered in flaky pastry that ends up in every crevice of clothing, this month’s column may not be for you.
Thankfully for us in Norfolk, Maggie Christensen had the unscratched itch to produce the breakfast buns of her homeland that she now sells from her Norwich business, Frakost, to be found on St Augustine’s Gate.
Before I explain the story of how she ended up there, let me give the lowdown on her wares. You will find chocolate, cinnamon and cardamom buns. They are all made with sourdough, so edible for those of us with a mild gluten intolerance. Similarly, there’s no dairy product involved. And with an aquafaba wash, yes, they’re vegan.
But please don’t start worrying the end product will be missing something, because they don’t. The cardamom, added to what sugar is used, gives an aromatic quality. The dark chocolate melts into the strands of beautifully baked dough that pulls away gently with each mouthful. Served warm, I think I could eat a dozen of them straight off…
As I meet up with Maggie (very) early on a Saturday morning, to assist with some baking, she tells me her backstory. Coming over from just south of Copenhagen in 2017, she chose Norwich for its number of small independent retailers.
Her first sales were from her basket, set up in Gentleman’s Walk. Local deliveries followed and then Maggie got her first wholesale customer, the Mustard Coffee Shop on Bridewell Alley. By now, she was also baking rye bread and so tried a morning renting Studio 20 on Wensum Street. She recalls two groups eating her sandwiches and pastries, both of which grew as friends were quickly called - and then something astonishing.
The two groups, who didn’t know each other, started intermingling, chatting about the food they were eating. And in that moment, Maggie knew that was her calling.
Our friend the global pandemic led to a delay of sorts, but when the Chinese takeaway on St Augustine’s closed, she knew she had found her spot. Late 2020 saw a seven-week refurb, taking everything back to the bare bones (and a great job it is too).
Now, the cafe at the front, in full view of the bakery, opens Friday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm. Coffee is sourced from one of the founders of Norwich’s Strangers. After breakfast, lunch could be a carrot tart with red pepper salad and pea fritters (all solid Danish fare). The reclaimed seats and tables are matched terrifically by the music - solid 60s and 70s laidback grooves.
In addition, bicycle deliveries to NR1 - 3 can be ordered daily and look out for Maggie’s buns in Artel, The Yard, Connaught Kitchen and Moreish (Park Lane) in Norwich and The Old Dairy Cafe in Lowestoft. Her rye bread is sold by the lovely people at Rainbow Wholefoods.
Go on, get yourself a plate-full of hygge…
Follow Mark and Maggie on Instagram
@norfolkhomechef2018
@fraa.kost
