Thinking about fresh bread inspired me to write this story about a wonderful Greek Bakery that I used to visit many years ago.
Living in Harringay which is a suburb of North London in the 1980’s was a surreal experience in many ways.
Although this was England, Harringay is a highly ethnic part of London, and had a large Cypriot population (Greeks/Turks from the island of Cyprus), and driving down the main road (Green Lanes), many of the banks and businesses not only looked foreign, the shop names were in Greek lettering as well.
We lived about ½ a mile off Green Lanes, and close to use was a Greek Bakery that was one of those that you would walk inside just for the smell.
They baked Greek breads, pastries and cakes 7 days a week, at a time when few bakeries were open on a Sunday, and it was a great experience to go there early on a Sunday morning and buy some Greek Bread for breakfast.
Their bread was often covered in Poppy, Sesame and other seeds, and it just tasted so good. Living in Harringay I developed a real love of the Greek and Cypriot foods, especially the breads and pastries.
We moved from there to the opposite side of London about 1990 and I have never been back since, so the bakery has probably long since gone, but the memory lingers.
Being a bread-a-holic, it’s great to see that there are many places these days that specialise in breads for breakfast, and when I head back to the USA to see my daughters, there is nothing nicer to go to breakfast at a place that serves good coffee and freshly baked bagels. But I do still miss that Greek Bakery with it’s wonderful smells and delicious fresh bread.
17 thoughts on “The Greek Bakery”
Oh I would have LOVED to visit that bakery. Did they have any pastries too or just breads? We had a Greek bakery / pastry shop here in Columbus in the early 90’s that served the BEST baklava — I would always stop in there and have them make me up a whole batch for potlucks at work and put their cards out for them to drive in business. You have some great memories for sure! Cheers, Jenn
Oh yes, they had all types of breads, plus lots of pastries, and other goodies like baklava. So good…
We had Cypriot neighbours too at one point. The woman would make wonderful pastries and pass them over the back fence for us.
Lovely memory, you should go and see if it still exist!
A lady I used to work with comes from Greece and she would bring in the most delicious baked goods. Hearty breads to perfect baklava–I think her treats were everyone’s favorites.
Nice trip down memory lane, Tony. Thanks for taking us along. :O)
Cool memory, Tony. Would be nice to think the bakery is still there, but better not to actually know, perhaps? To know it wasn’t there any more would, for me anyway, take away some of the happy.
Sounds wonderful. There is something special about bread when it’s hot out of the oven.
Joyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Oh, I’d love to visit that bakery. Nice memories, Tony.
The Greek Orthodox Church in the town I live in has fund-raising event each Christmas and Easter. Several years I’ve managed to get in to buy some of their pastries, and a couple of times I managed to attend one of their dinners. Wonderful, wonderful food….
What a fascinating place and lovely memories!
Kathy
http://www.thetruckerswife.com/
Yum! Those breads did look delicious! I love to go to a restaurant where they bring out some really delicious crusty bread! Thanks for sharing!
What I would do for those breads!!
Awesome blog, here for the first time…hope to drop by soon, again! 🙂
wishes
Scribblers Inc.
The only freshly baked bread I’ve made myself was the “Friendship Bread,” they type of bread you make to share with friends. But it was too good to put on a sandwich, so my kids and I just ate it alone.
I would love visiting there and the bakery. The bread looks so good.
Oh my gosh, this makes me hungry! I am a bread-a-holic as well. I know I would have loved this place.
Yum. I can almost smell the greek bakery now. I too love bread.
YUM!! when we visited Italy was shocked when i couldn’t find bread at the local grocery store…then i found it and we got one of the last loaves at 11 am.. and to think i thought i was the only breadaholic!! HEHE loved this MUAH! for your memories!!
Fresh baklava with warm honey dripping down your chin, ahhh.