Now spearheaded by Helen Evans and Florin Grama in partnership with James Lowe, Flor’s baking still speaks in the vernacular of flour, butter, fermentation, and heat developed by Anna Higham in its early days in Borough Market. Flor puts a London accent on the exacting tradition and relentless experimentalism that make Paris and Copenhagen two of Europe’s most formidable cities for pastry.
Having moved from London’s oldest food market to London’s nerdiest food market at Spa Terminus, some things have changed. There’s more space and more scale; home deliveries and nationwide kits; and it’s only open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. But croissants and pains aux chocolats still shatter into perfect layers, but carry the austere depth of fresh wheat and a deeply caramelised, almost savoury sheen; seasonal fruit danishes — often with custards flavoured with their leaves or flowers — still possess seriousness of flavour and imagination to match their beauty.
Take a look around the first morning rush, on a cold day in Bermondsey in December.
Alexa, add heat.
Finished loaves — these porridge, flecked with oats — will either go out for delivery, or be racked up for sale.