There’s a Swiss proverb that goes, “Avoid those who don’t like bread and children.” It’s David Donde’s mission to convert those people and give them their dose of daily bread at Flour Market. Located on Hope Street, the artisanal bakery is Donde’s latest venture and forms part of the What? Food Group, along with chocolate playground Rapt Indulgence, speakeasy The Art of Duplicity and the world-famous steampunk café Truth Coffee Roasting. Different from the theatrical experiences his other establishments offer, Flour Market is unembellished and utilitarian. What you see is what you get, and therein lies the beauty.
With senior chef Laurence Smith and executive chef and head baker Marcus Fundi at the helm, the menu honours tried-and-true flavours, which one might argue is more difficult without the bells and whistles to hide behind. The quality of the ingredients and the artistry speak volumes. (No surprise there! The head baker’s name says it all.) We chat with business mastermind Donde about the inspiration behind the bakery and what makes it worth adding to your list of Cape Town bakeries to visit. Join the conversation.
What was the inspiration behind Flour Market?
It was more [a matter of] necessity than inspiration. Having been mentored by Beatrice Rabkin (she was Wolfgang Puck’s head pastry chef and co-wrote Desserts with Nancy Silverton) of 41 The Drive in Camps Bay in the late 1980s, we used real sourdough at Truth Coffee. Our supplier wasn’t really business-focused, and while the bread was excellent, the final straw was [when they casually told us], ‘Sorry, we’re closing in a week’s time for three weeks for Christmas.’ So, we built our own bakery. Flour Market is what happened when a small bakery above Truth needed more space.
Truth Coffee looks very different compared to Flour Market. What informed that decision?
[We felt that] coffee needs theatre; bread just needs a quiet moment of contemplation.What sets Flour Market apart from other popular bakeries in Cape Town?
At its heart, Flour Market is not so different from Cape Town’s or, for that matter, the world’s best bakeries. However, besides [selling] artisanal bread and pastries, there are three things that set us apart from other bakeries: uncompromising quality, gut health and being proud to be a business. We currently employ 42 people. We take the benefit of improving lives through real food seriously.
What was the concept behind the menu?
We wanted the bakes to be the hero. Keeping it real and obvious felt right.
You’ve said that you want the ingredients to speak for themselves. What does that mean?
Buy the best you can and try not to bugger them up! Seriously, simple food is real and delicious. It’s hard to use a handful of ingredients to produce healthy deliciousness unless they are exemplary! We love our suppliers.
What’s the key to keeping the lights on and customers coming back for more?
In one word? Resilience! Not giving up, ever; keep waving the flag and know your purpose.
What makes a good loaf of bread?
For a sourdough, squeeze it, feel the crackle of the crust. Tear a piece off, smell it. You’ll know. Look at the crumb: is it pale white, bleached factory k*k or something more natural? And lastly, does it have that natural tang that improves on the second day?
The key to running a restaurant?
Ah, that’s easy: hire great people and get out of their way!
How does the baking team, and the team at large, contribute to the success of Flour Market?
Marcus Fundi [our executive chef and head baker] has turned out to be philosophical, as well as talented, and makes most bread decisions. Laurence Smith [our senior chef] is a seriously deep thinker and heads up pastry and the like. We, along with a few others, make up the core team, but Marcus and Laurence truly lead. They get all the credit for our excellence.
Any exciting plans in the works?
Yes, but that would be telling. Our goal is to supply as many of the top restaurants and hotels as we can in Cape Town, and convert people one at a time into real food eaters!
Sweet or savoury?
Savoury – except on Saturdays, when I give in to sweeter things.
An underrated pastry?
The croissant – a true croissant – is a work of art and a world in itself. It is sad that most people have never tasted the real thing.
The next best thing since sliced bread?
Well, I’m still paying for the eye-wateringly expensive slicer it takes to cut sourdough. (Can I please just enjoy a simple slice of sourdough with some homemade butter, please?)
But if I have to call it, it’s the indulgence of a warm croissant, torn open by hand. Stuffed with thinly sliced prosciutto, and enjoyed with a Truth Coffee Black Honey flat white. I dunk when no one is looking. Don’t tell a soul!
Visit Flour Market at 105 Hope St, Gardens, Cape Town. Open on Monday to Thursday from 06h30 until 16h00 and Friday to Sunday from 07h30 until 16h00. For bakery updates and to browse the menu, visit the website and follow them on socials.
