Sunday 13 December 2015

Christmas at Kristy's Bakery, Swansea!

It's Christmas time at Kristy's!

And while the weather in Swansea may still be pretty miserable, we are feeling as festive as ever in the bakery.

Handmade, traditional Christmas puddings, with our label.

As well as our usual traditional bake - from Italian breads to mozzarella puffs - we craft your favourite festive goodies: Christmas puddings, mince pies, chocolate logs, panettone, Christmas cakes, marzipan fruits, apple strudel, orange sticks, Santa biscuits, and more. All handmade on the premises, on Eversley Road, Sketty.

Our handmade marzipan fruits

This year, the main message to our lovely customers is simple: place an order or risk missing out. Every year we have customers that pop into the shop on Christmas Eve to pick up some treats, only to find we don't have what they are looking for because we have sold out.

This doesn't have to happen. We can make anything to order fresh for Christmas Eve, if you let us know in advance. Making an order is really simple - just give us a call on 01792 201479, or email us and we will do the rest.

Cocktail mince pies, made to order

We hope to see you in the shop soon. Keep supporting your local family businesses, and happy Christmas from everyone at Kristy's Bakery.

Thursday 19 November 2015

Naked wedding cakes at Kristy's Bakery Swansea

Don't worry, there's nothing rude about these cakes!

The reason these wedding cakes go by the nickname 'nude' or 'naked' is because they forego the traditional Royal icing, frosting or chocolate coating. And without that, the cake is essentially nude.

One of our lovely creations!
That's not to say they lack any visual impact - in fact these cakes tend to produce some of the biggest 'wow' factors around.

For this reason they are hugely popular with our customers (and even celebrities), and are a stunning addition to any wedding.

The nude cakes we make at Kristy's Bakery are beautifully rustic, colourful and unique, with our renown delicious flavour. We decorate the cakes with a variety of fruits, berries and sugars, and will match these with the colour scheme you are going for at your wedding.

The best news for customers is that by going nude it's a more cost effective way to enjoy a wedding cake. To chat about what we can do to make your big day extra special visit our shop on Eversley Road, Swansea, or call us on 01792 201479.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Kristy's Bakery in Taste Swansea magazine

We are pleased to announce that Kristy's Bakery appears in the October edition of Taste Swansea food and drink magazine.


Not only do we appear in the magazine, but we also give away a free mince pie - no purchase necessary. Just cut out the voucher, hand it over, and we'll give you one of our traditional handmade mince pies!

The offer is valid until November 5th, so there is plenty of time to get in the mood for Christmas early with your complimentary treat.


You can pick up your copy of Taste Swansea magazine in restaurants, cafes and hotels across the city. See you all soon!

Monday 13 April 2015

Love Lasagne? Try our home-made recipe!

As well as breads, sweets and chocolate cakes, we've been treating the people of Swansea to something different for years.

One of our most unique items in the bakery is our lovely home-made lasagne, which is available in individual portions, so customers can take home and enjoy in their own time.

Our delicious lasagne

Antonio makes the hearty pasta dish from a traditional family recipe, using quality home-made minced beef bolognese and creamy bechamel sauce in between layers of egg pasta sheets.

He will make a huge batch of lasagne before cutting it and freezing individual portions. This means you can buy it and take it home for a wholesome and comforting ready meal - a lot nicer than the stuff you'll find in a generic supermarket.

Fresh lasagne portioned out into takeaway containers

What do you enjoy lasagne with? Oddly we like it with chips! Yes, it's quite a stodgy meal, but you certainly won't be hungry afterwards. If you prefer something a little lighter, try a salad or a slice of our fresh focaccia.

We don't make the lasagne every week, and when we do it sells out pretty quickly.

If you would like to avoid disappointment please order a portion (£3.70 each) by popping into our Swansea bakery on Eversley Road, Sketty, or by giving us a call on 01792 201479.


Wednesday 25 March 2015

Getting married in Swansea? Check out our chocolate wedding cakes at Kristy's Bakery

The majority of recent posts on our website have been showing off our delicious delicacies such as fresh focaccia, homemade Italian sauces and an array of Easter goodies.

However we want to bring to your attention the beautiful traditional and chocolate wedding cakes we have made in our Swansea bakery for decades.

One of our traditional wedding cakes

Back in the mid nineties we were one of the first bakeries to bring chocolate wedding cakes to Swansea, and have been making them for happy couples ever since.

We keep the majority of photos of past cakes in our shop on Eversley Road, although we do have a page on this site that will illustrate some of the things we can do - from traditional fruit cake covered in Royal icing, to a lighter chocolate sponge covered in chocolate cigarellos, to beautiful Croquembouche towers.

One of our delicious white chocolate wedding cakes

Check out some of the responses from the happy brides and grooms who have enjoyed a Kristy's cake at their wedding on our testimonial page.

To discuss your wedding cake, pop into Kristy's Bakery on Eversley Road, Sketty, Swansea, or call us on 01792 201479 and ask to speak to Antonio.

Thursday 19 March 2015

Easter time at Kristy's Bakery, Swansea!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Easter..."

Unlike Christmas, Easter is one of those days that changes from year to year. In 2015 Easter falls on the first weekend in April, with Easter Sunday being April 5th.

A selection of our Easter goodies

At Kristy's Bakery we've been supplying Swansea with an array of high quality Easter treats for decades, from handmade Easter eggs and hot cross buns, to traditional Italian celebratory cakes that you'd struggle to find anywhere else.

In particular Antonio makes an authentic Italian Easter bun called Colomba Pasquale (translating to Easter Dove in English) - a light but rich bun, delicately flavoured with orange peel and dressed with toasted almonds. If you like panettone at Christmas time, you'll love it!

Our Colomba Pasquale

We also make a very popular Simnel cake - a decadent and spicy fruit cake with marzipan baked into it, with additional marzipan balls on top, giving the cake its instantly recognisable look. The Simnel cake is in limited supply, so if you're in Swansea, pop into the bakery soon to avoid disappointment!

Our lovely Simnel cake

We also make many other Easter treats, including milk, white and marbled chocolate eggs, Easter biscuits (plain and fruit), marzipan chicks and rabbits, and - of course - plump hot-cross buns.

Hot cross buns made fresh by Antonio! (photo: South Wales Evening Post)

If you want to order anything you've seen here, just pop into the bakery, on Eversley Road, Sketty, or give us a call on 01792 201479. Remember to like us on Facebook for more updates.

Tuesday 10 March 2015

From Arrabiata to Pizzaiola: Fresh Italian sauces at Kristy's

The bakery's owner Antonio has worked in all areas of the hospitality trade, from waiter to chef to baker (obviously!), from Italy to Swansea to Canada.

As a chef he worked in several restaurants across the county, cooking authentic Italian food for hungry customers. His last chef's position was in the famous San Carlo restaurant in Birmingham in the mid-nineties.

After returning to Swansea and taking over the bakery in 1995 he turned his attention to breads and cakes. However a few years ago he decided to introduce a couple of his traditional Italian sauces into the bakery and they became very popular.

A batch of Messinese Sauce being prepared.

Based on family recipes, every few weeks Antonio makes a small batch of his sauces, using fresh ingredients. He then jars them up and sells them in the shop, which our customers enjoy using on pasta, meat and in vegetable dishes.

At the moment there are three varieties on sale. First we have our home made Pizzaiola - an authentic Italian sauce combining the flavours of tomato, olives, garlic, chilli and capers. This was our first sauce and is probably the most popular.

We then have our spicy Arrabiata, which is a classic Italian tomato sauce with a good kick as it's made with fresh, hot chilli peppers.

And finally there's our home made Messinese - a delicious typical Sicilian sauce, made with tomatoes, garlic and fresh aubergine.

The jars are always on sale in the shop, although not every variety is available every week. Also Antonio sometimes makes a few different 'limited edition' varieties, so it's worth following us on Twitter or Facebook as we'll announce them on there.

And remember if you bring back your empty sauce jar for recycling, you'll get a 20p refund.

You can order a jar of sauce by calling 01792 201479 or popping into the bakery on Eversley Road, Sketty.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Southern Italian Pilla bread at Kristy's Bakery

It's March and... it's raining in Swansea (of course).

So cheer yourself up with a true taste of sunshine! Even if you are stuck in Swansea, the bakery is where you want to be heading for a real taste of Southern Italy: our traditional Pilla bread.

Pilla Bread!

The tasty bread is made using a mixture of fresh vegetables and spices, including spring onions, cherry tomatoes, courgettes, black olives, capers and - of course - hot chili peppers!

Fresh courgettes, tomatoes, olives and capers are chopped...

...then fried together to create the delicious mix.

The mix is added to the dough, then baked in the oven and generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

The result is a delicious, fluffy bread with a very good kick. It's hearty enough to use on it's own as a lunch-time meal, or on the side of a pasta dish to mop up the sauce. The Pilla also makes a great bread for sandwiches (use an Emmental cheese or some fresh cherry tomatoes as a filling).


At Kristy's Bakery, Swansea, we make the Pilla bread every few weeks, although we may be able to make some to order if you are desperate. Just give us a call on 01792 201479 and we can tell you when it's next coming out of the oven!


Thursday 26 February 2015

Saint David's Day at Kristy's Bakery, Swansea

Happy Saint David's Day! (...well, for Sunday, March 1st).

And March is a lovely time of year in Swansea, as you know that the spring (and hopefully less of this miserable weather) is just around the corner.

As usual, if you are celebrating the feast day of Saint David, we'll have fresh Welsh cakes in the bakery - our classic patriotic staple - from Friday at 10am.

Some of our lovely Welsh cakes

If you're looking for something a bit more substantial, pick up a loaf of our bread or slice of sourdough, and make Welsh rarebit (i.e. posh cheese on toast). Check out this lovely Welsh rarebit recipe from Jamie Oliver.

And if you fancy something a bit different, try a chunk of our Swansea Market laverbread and roast garlic focaccia; a Welsh twist on an Italian classic!

Welsh/Italian Focaccia

Whatever way you decide to celebrate St. David's Day on March 1st, have a good one - Iechyd da!


Tuesday 24 February 2015

National Toast Day! Fresh toasting bread at Kristy's Bakery, Swansea

That's right, you didn't read this wrong - it is National Toast Day!

A thick slice of Kristy's toast with fresh butter
Yes a day dedicated exclusively to toasted bread does indeed exist. Why? Because toast is great. Whether brown, white, spelt, sourdough or granary, nothing quite beats a slice of warm, crispy bread with a generous helping of butter.

It goes without saying that if you're in Swansea you can pop into the bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread for toasting.

One cool thing to finish - Kristy's Bakery is featured on the national newspaper Metro's website, in their round-up of awesome toast recipes, so make sure to check that out!

Remember you can call us on 01792 201479 to place an order, for bread or anything we make.

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Having a party in Swansea? Try our party-size focaccia!

If you're in Swansea and throwing a party, or having a gathering among friends, sort out the catering easily with one massive tray of our excellent fresh focaccia.

Our red onion and cheese focaccia (with a few slices missing!)

For just £24 you can have a huge 30” x 18” tray of authentic Italian focaccia, with a delicious cheese and tomato topping. We also offer additional toppings at just £4 extra per tray - choose from fresh mushrooms, olives, ham or red onion.

What's focaccia you ask? Check out our earlier post on the history of focaccia and learn everything you need to know.

In brief it is a delicious thick bread made with lots of olive oil, that can be enjoyed hot or cold, as a snack or a side to a larger meal.

To place an order or for more details, pop into our Swansea bakery or call us on 01792 201479. You can also email us (although please allow one day for response).

We can also offer free delivery in the Sketty, Uplands and Brynmill area (with a bit of notice).

Monday 16 February 2015

Top tips for perfect pancakes from Kristy's Bakery!

As it's Shrove Tuesday tomorrow pancake lovers across Swansea will have no excuse not to indulge!

And there's nothing more satisfying than making your own, especially if you manage to nail them perfectly the first time.

An example of good British-style pancakes

But of course, that's not always the case. There are so many ways to get them wrong, whether they stick to the pan or whether you manage to flip them so high they stick to the ceiling (...admit it, it's happened).

So here are six pancake making tips that may help to make your Shrove Tuesday run a little smoother (these tips work well for the flatter British style pancakes or the American fat ones!)

  • Weigh your ingredients - Don't just guess. While the batter may look 'about right' you'll soon find out that it's too thick or runny when it's too late.

  • Don't worry about lumps - You'll want to mix the batter enough so the wet and dry ingredients combine, but don't over beat it or you'll risk chewy pancakes instead of fluffy ones.

  • Don't let the batter sit - If you make the batter out of the way and let it sit, the flour will absorb too much of the liquid. Only make the batter just before you're ready to cook.

  • Use a heavy-based pan - In the bakery we use a large hotplate, but you probably don't have that luxury. Instead make sure to use a thick, heavy-based pan. If your pan is too thin your pancakes will burn.

  • Don't let the pan get too hot - You'll want a hot pan, but don't let it get too hot or the pancakes will end up burning. Try to stick with a medium heat.

  • Flip them once - Yes flipping the pancakes looks cool, but flip just once otherwise you risk deflating your pancake (especially tragic if you're making the American style ones).

It's not too hard to make decent pancakes, but you need patience and a bit of skill if you want to make really good ones.

Of course if you're too busy to make your own but still want the pleasure of eating them, you can always pop in to Kristy's Bakery if you're in Swansea and pick up some freshly made pancakes.

Good luck and happy Pancake Day!


Friday 13 February 2015

Focaccia: a short and delicious history

At Kristy's Bakery we've been making focaccia for years - but it's certainly no new creation.

In fact focaccia is thought to date back well over 2000 years, first enjoyed by the Etruscans (an ancient Italian civilization) or even the Ancient Greeks!

The word focaccia comes from the Latin focacia meaning hearth or fireside, which is where the bread would have originally been baked.

Although very similar to pizza (especially in Naples) focaccia has a higher yeast content and therefore rises more than pizza, absorbing more olive oil (and more taste!), to produce a very fluffy bread.

It's therefore great to use as a base for sandwiches or as a robust side dish to a larger meal, but it's equally as good as a standalone snack.


Antonio's laverbread and roast garlic focaccia!

There are so many variations on focaccia. In Puglia, where the bakery's owner Antonio originally hails from, potato and other vegetables are mixed into the dough to produce a hefty bite called focaccia di patate.

Further north in Naples the focaccia is topped with a little tomato sauce and oregano, closely resembling the region's staple dish, pizza. Up in the Tuscany region you'll find schiacciata con l'uva, which is focaccia made with sweet grapes.

If you're in Swansea, you'll be able to try some authentic Italian focaccia at Kristy's Bakery. While he doesn't make it every day, Antonio usually bakes one with red onion and cheese, as well as one with black and green olives.

But he also makes a very unique focaccia with roast garlic and fresh laverbread from Swansea Market to celebrate both Italian and Welsh cuisine.

So pop into the shop on Eversley Road, Sketty, or give us a call on 01792 201479 to order a slice, or even a full tray - we can make one especially for you!

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Valentine's Day at Kristy's Bakery

Valentine's Day is usually one of those days that sees mass panic, with men across Swansea suddenly realising they have not bought a present for their wife, girlfriend, fiancée!

While we don't sell diamond rings or bouquets of roses at the bakery, we do have plenty of handmade chocolates, as well as some sweet treats including Valentine's cupcakes and heart biscuits.


A few of our hand-made Valentine's Day cupcakes

So don't waste your money on petrol station flowers or generic chocolate this year. Instead pop into Kristy's Bakery, Swansea, and grab a few cakes - the real way to a woman's heart!

An original recipe - white chocolate rocky road!

Monday 9 February 2015

BREAKING NEWS: Six Nations focaccia returns to Swansea bakery!

The annual Six Nations tournament is back once again, and so too is our home-made roast garlic and laverbread focaccia!


A delicious and nutritious treat. Make sure to pop in to our bakery on Eversley Road, Swansea, to try a slice. And because the focaccia is sold by weight (85p/100g), you can have as much or as little as you like.

If you have any suggestions on other cross-nation breads we could try out, please let us know. A Guinness and haggis ciabatta perhaps? (Or perhaps not...)

Saturday 7 February 2015

Welcome to the new Kristy's Bakery website

Your favourite Swansea bakery has had a bit of a virtual makeover!

While the content on the blog and website remains unchanged, the design is now fresher and easier to navigate.

You'll still find photos of our special chocolate wedding cakes and celebration cakes, as well as contact information, opening hours and other photos on the navigation bar along the top.

Whether you're in Swansea or Skewen, make sure to bookmark the site for recipes, photos and news about the bakery!

And if you have any suggestions about how we can make the site better, please get in touch.