Rise and Shine: Shelly Bay Baker Has Taken Over Leeds St Bakery’s Central Wellington Shop

Founded by chef Sam Forbes, the beloved Shelly Bay Baker has been humming along since in 2017, specialising in organic bread and baked goods made with New Zealand-grown, New Zealand-milled flour.

Its Miramar headquarters is where the magic happens – there’s a 400 square metre warehouse on Park Road housing Shelly Bay’s granite mill and retail space, from which it supplies several restaurants and cafes around the Wellington region.

“My idea has always been trying to make better bread more accessible to everyone – from the beginning,” Forbes tells Broadsheet.

Despite a strong wholesale-customer base and online ordering platform, as well as the odd farmers market appearance, Forbes says the retail operation was limited by the Miramar location. He wanted to bring Shelly Bay products to an even wider customer base.

So, the team was on the lookout for a site in central Wellington. “We just didn’t feel like anything was right – until Leeds Street.”

Run by Shepherd Elliott, Leeds Street Bakery was a popular go-to in its own right for close to a decade.

It was a suitably organic process to move into the shop, says Forbes, as Elliott had been looking for the right person to take the reins – and liked the fact it would be a fellow organic bakery to do so.

Other than a new “Shelly Bay Baker on Leeds St” sign, the 60 square-metre shop’s layout is much the same. There will be changes down the line, including more seating space.

Head there Tuesday to Sunday for Shelly Bay’s signature sourdough loaves, as well as a variety of generously filled sandwiches. They’re stuffed with simple yet sublime combinations – you might order a haloumi, chilli mayo and cos sandwich, or maybe ham and Dijon, prosciutto and sun-dried tomato, or a plant-based roast kūmara, red pepper, sumac and vegan feta number.

To the relief of Leeds St regulars, Shelly Bay has also kept the former’s signature salted caramel cookies and polenta cakes on the menu. And you can still get coffee by Red Rabbit and perch on a stool outside.

Forbes has been working in kitchens since he was 11. His goal was to open his own business before he was 30 – something he achieved at 26. His business partner Simon Morton came on board in 2020.

Forbes is passionate about sharing his love of bread made with freshly ground flour – he compares it to freshly ground coffee, with its superior flavour and nutritional value.

Shelly Bay now works with four or five organic wheat farmers around the country, whose grain is then gently milled in its traditional granite mill. The machine’s slower pace is meant to retain the grain’s goodness.

“It’s been really great,” says Forbes. “There’s no middle person involved – we deal directly with the farmers and know them really well.” One of the farms is only 37 kilometres away from Wellington, in the Wairarapa.

With their new shop, Forbes and his team are sharing their field-to-table philosophy even more generously. “We just really care about flour.”

Shelly Bay Baker on Leeds
Unit 6G/14 Leeds Street, Te Aro, Wellington

Hours
Tues to Sat 8.30am–2.30pm
Sun 9am–2.30pm

shellybaybaker.co.nz
@shellybaybakeronleeds