Dean Brettschneider finally brings to you the story and recipes behind the successful artisan and food store, Baker & Cook. The allure of this book is in the backstory of the warm, cosy cafe you frequently sit to enjoy fresh bread and coffee and the beautiful and honest way Dean writes it.  The recipes for all your Baker & Cook favourites are right here for you to try at home.

Nobody ever reads a book from cover to cover. Dean Brettschneider, Baker & Cook founder would know - he has written 12 of them so far but his latest book, Baker & Cook - the story and recipes behind the successul artisan bakery and food store, is a little different.

There's no room for self-glorification here. The story draws you in from Dean's time in Shanghai and a bad business fallout that led to a small yet might discovery: learning to use Chinese five-spice powder instead of European mixed spices in a traditional carrot cake recipe, a little twist that led Baker & Cook's carrot cake to its international fame today.

The pages are woven with equally fascinating anecdotes that go back to when Dean first met his partner. How the two of them hit it off "on a long bike ride in 90 percent humidity and 32-degree heat"; how they walked around the sleepy neighbourhood of Hillcrest road (now the home to their flagship Baker & Cook outlet); and how, seven months later, the decision to rent the space was made over a long-distance call in mere seconds.

Just like Baker & Cook, this book is a passion project. It's certainly not just another cookbook. And this is why you will end up reading it from cover to cover.