The Bahamas is known for its flawless white sand beaches with turquoise waters, pirate history, and swimming pigs of Exuma. Now, you should add Bakehouse to that list.
The artisan baked goods and coffee shop on Chesapeake Road, recently opened its doors by popular demand after a run of successful pop-ups.
The bakery was inspired by the travels of Ivana Moncur, formerly an executive pastry chef and cake artist at the Atlantis Resort. Baking has been a passion of Moncur’s from a young age, leading to her studies in culinary arts at the College of the Bahamas and Johnson & Wales University in Miami.
The pandemic has taken so much from so many but for Mocur, it presented a new opportunity to share favorites like her popular Brown Butter Toasted Pecan doughnuts with the world.
“I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time, but because I’m usually so busy at work, I never really got the chance to do it,” she told Travel Noire. “During the pandemic, I was temporarily laid off from my job, and so everybody had lots of time on their hands. I’m so grateful for the pandemic, for good reasons, even though it has been a blessing and a curse. I’m grateful for the time that it gave me to just be creative and create my own pastries, and have that time to start Bakehouse.”
Moncur started small, testing recipes and having her sister post them to social media. People soon starting asking to taste what she had been cooking up. This led to hosting her first pop-up last summer. Word spread quickly. They were sold out within an hour and people were clamoring for more. Moncur executed several more pop-ups through the end of 2020 before deciding on something more permanent.
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“We decided to do a physical location, just because we can produce here, and we can meet the customers. The pop-ups were so busy that we didn’t really get an opportunity to interact with the clients, and we would sell out really fast. So here we get to meet the customers, talk to them, they can share their story, and we can lay the pastries on the display. It’s not just an exchange. We can create some sort of ambiance, so people can sit down and enjoy the pastry.”
Moncur originally started out with doughnuts, cookies and beverages like iced coffee and iced tea. Bakehouse has now expanded into more pastries like blueberry muffins, coffee cakes, and cinnamon buns. They also offer savory items like vegetable Quiché as well as meat and cheese Quiché.
“We’re expanding slowly but surely,” said Moncur. “But the people want what they want — just the old faithful.”
Bakehouse is currently bustling but this is just the beginning according to Moncur, who has a larger vision for her growing company.
“I want to take it to the world. Big cities; New York, Chicago, all of those different places, and in the Caribbean. I see big plans for Bakehouse. When visitors come here I want them to experience it. For example, when you travel, and you go to a big city, you want to experience what the big city has to offer. When we travel, my sister and I would usually just find the best bakery. So when tourists come here [Bahamas], I want them to want to come to Bakehouse. I want this to be on their bucket lists.”
To learn more, follow Bakehouse on Instagram.
Related:These Nassau, Bahamas Resorts Are Offering Free COVID-19 Testing For Guests
