Hot on the heels of opening three stores in Manila, Philippines, Baker & Cook and Plank Sourdough Pizza are now set to make waves in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi by the first quarter of the new year.

The first Middle East launch for Baker & Cook will be in tower two of the InterContinental Al Khobar, with a Baker & Cook and Plank Sourdough Pizza combo store opening nearby in the luxurious Alshaikh Avenue Mall in April.

Dean Brettschneider recalls how four years back, it didn’t feel right to open in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Kuwait as the market wasn’t ready. But four years, and a whole lot of travel, have changed the palates of the local market. With this, Brettschneider met with CEO of Pioneer Catering Products Co, Naif Al Turair, where they both realised “it feels right” for Baker & Cook to expand to the Middle East now.

“I am super excited to be finally bringing my ‘New World Baking’ influences to the Middle East after all the years of only having French or American baking influences,” says Brettschneider. “They are tasty, but very one-dimensional and overly-sweet. It’s good to get a different perspective,” he continues.

Baker & Cook’s iconic Italian Pizza Valoriani oven will also take pride of place in the new kitchens over in Saudi Arabia, with trusted coffee partners Allpress Espresso onboard to bring their freshly-roasted beans over so as to deliver the same antipodean coffee experience created by Baker & Cook in Singapore.

Baker & Cook also has plans to open in the UAE, with the first store being in Abu Dhabi. Watch this space!