The Blackbird Cafe
The Local Dish talks with Lara Cook, the new owner of the Blackbird Cafe, Chapel Row, Bucklebury.
When I walk into the Blackbird Cafe I am hit by the wonderful aromas of fresh coffee and buttery cakes, with an underlying scent of bacon somewhere in the background. It most certainly smells of breakfast! The counter is piled high with poached eggs wrapped in parma ham, croissants, cakes, breads, sandwiches and fresh juices.
The Blackbird has a new owner, Lara Cook, young, pretty and bespectacled, she appears right at home in this environment. Lara is a local, having grown up in this area; her surname is not mistaken! She studied fashion and textile design and even worked at The Blackbird behind the counter for several years. It was here, helping to develop recipe ideas that she became inspired to make the move to London where she studied at the Prue Leith cookery school. Yes, the very Prue Leith of the Great British Bake Off! When the opportunity to came up to take over The Blackbird, Lara couldn’t resist coming back to her home community and fulfilling her dream to run her own cafe. We are in good hands at The Blackbird!
Cooking skill is part of her family heritage, as both Lara’s mother and grandmother were chefs. Currently living with her mother, Lara says it’s nice to come home to a meal someone else has cooked for her after cooking for others all day. After all, designing recipes, cooking and running the cafe single-handedly makes for long days.
When she does cook at home for friends or family, she likes to cook fish, salads — anything with a lot of greens. Puddings might include something with raw chocolate and berries. “I find baking therapeutic,” she says. “whenever I have a big decision to make, I either bake or go for a run and the answers seem to come to me.”
Lara is definitely a creative and enjoys creating recipes. She says she rarely ever follows a recipe to the instructions, always adding her own twist. Gluten-free and dairy-free herself, Lara says that the food she cooks for others is the food she would want to eat herself, so it has got to be delicious! She creates a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan delights for the cafe. She also invites guest bakers from the local area to create some of the gorgeous cakes you see decorating the counter top, too pretty to eat!
I chose the vegan pear and walnut bread to go with my iced coffee. Made with flax instead of eggs, and with dairy-free butter , it is so moist and sweet there is absolutely nothing missing! The coffee is by Ozone, the coffee producers supporting all things sustainable. Ozone offers specialist barrista training to The Blackbird staff so you can be assured your coffee will be made to a high standard.
Lara is very keen to promote sustainability at The Blackbird Cafe. She sources everything as locally as she can, the fresh sourdough bread from Aston’s Bakery at Sheepdrove Farm and the fresh produce from Fisher’s of Newbury. She has just planted an herb garden and every evening she leaves the used coffee grounds outside the front door for anyone to take for their home compost or garden.
What does Lara like best about running her own cafe? “I just want happy customers!” she laughs. “I also just love the freedom to cook and create the things I love to eat.”
What’s does the future hold for The Blackbird Cafe? It’s early days for Lara, as she has only just launched four weeks ago, however she envisions expanding the catering side of her cooking to include evening meals and events. She loves her community and hopes that any future ventures involve supporting her local community.
Speaking as one happy customer, I for one hope for more of the same in the future, and wish her all the best!
The Blackbird Cafe is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 8:30–3:00PM and Saturdays 9:00am — 3:00PM.
