#BeausBowl Log – Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills – Friday 01/09/17
After a brief hiatus (due to majority of the team heading down South of the Border to wage battle with the Mexicans – no racial slur intended) the Nero Bunchie #FriYAY ride returned for another instalment of #BeausBowl. The destination this week was the iconic Bourke Street Bakery (BSB) (the original one on Bourke Street) which is renowned for its sourdough loafs and assortment of pies and pastries. As a fun fact, apparently BSB have a starter which is over 10 years which is still in use today to make sourdough loafs (the starter is the foundation of the sourdough loaf – I’ll leave it to Wikipedia to fill in the uninitiated). This could be seen as Australia’s answer to some of the European bakeries which boast starters going 100+ years. The 10+ year starter demonstrates the success story of BSB which has expanded to over 11 different locations throughout Sydney.
As we were visiting a well renowned bakery I decided to 2 order items; first was a ham and cheese croissant - arguably the cornerstone of any bakery and second was some fruit sourdough toast with a side of jam and ricotta. Now I am first to admit I am a bit of a croissant rookie and use the ham and cheese croissant from The Grumpy Baker in Maroubra as my reference point for a good croissant. So how did the BSB edition fare up?
Well as you can probably see from the picture the croissant appeared and tasted as if it had been prepared the day before, then put in a sandwich press ready to serve. There was a small degree of crunch in the crust which I think is crucial however I think the croissant missed the mark on the light and fluffy centre required for any top tier contestant.
So what about the Sourdough toast you may ask. The combination of the sweet and sour fruity sourdough paired perfectly well with the side of jam and ricotta. Overall, this left a positive impression on me and results in a 3/5 for the food component of the review.
I did not sample the coffee on selection at BSB (due to the high pre-ride intake resulting from a new coffee machine☺) however my compatriots did attest that the coffee was above board. Based on previous experience I rate the coffee as a 3.5/5.
In terms of parkup, there are plenty of places to park your steed nearby owing to the road construction occurring directly adjacent to the bakery. There is also plenty of seating outside however there is no heating or blankets to speak of which led to a quick exodus of the group post the food/drink consumption.
Overall, BSB gets a 3.5/5 on #BeausChilliScale.