It’s busy when I go into Pickle and Lime on Botley Road to talk to top chef Anthony Skeats about opening his own bakery there.
Trays of homemade Bakewell tarts, Chelsea buns, mini quiches, coco chip cookies, apricot and almond tarts, brownies, chocolate twists, croissants, sausage rolls and Scotch eggs regale me alongside an extensive bread offering and sandwich menu.
The timer goes off to let him know that his caramelised onions are ready for the brioche buns, while a customer is enquiring if he’s made all the cakes and tray bakes himself (yes ) and therefore can she have one of each.
“there is nowhere like this, this side of Oxford and we want to offer something different”
The word is already out then about Anthony Skeats of Sir Charles Napier and The Punter fame opening a bakery at Pickle and Lime in Oxford, and he couldn’t be happier.
After 28 years of working in some seriously busy kitchens, he has made a life change and followed his heart.
“I wanted my weekends and evenings back. I needed a different angle for my skill set because I’m still very passionate about what I do”
A big departure for the respected chef then? “It’s a really exciting move,” he says. “I’ve got a purpose built kitchen and we’ve only been open a few days but it’s already going really well.”
“We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves but there is nowhere like this, this side of Oxford and we want to offer something different.”
Like? “Like my granary and ale bread or my creme fraiche loaf which is like an old milk loaf but sexier,” he laughs,” or my apricot tarts or pork, leek and black pudding Scotch eggs…..,” the list goes on.
“both my grandmas baked. Every Saturday their kitchens were full of cakes and baking which is where I got my love of cooking from”
So what changed? “I wanted to do something else and made a lifestyle choice. I wanted my weekends and evenings back. I just needed a different angle for my skill set because I’m still very passionate about what I do and bread was always something I loved making, so this change of direction is really exciting.”
And how did it come about? I was just helping out here having left The Punter in October and I got talking to Joe Devlin (the owner) who runs Pickle and Lime and Country Grains next door. We’ve always had a great relationship. As a greengrocer he goes above and beyond to get his customers, restaurants, pubs and cafes what they want.
“THE POTENTIAL HERE IS HUGE, BUT ONE THING AT A TIME“
“I wanted a change and Joe wanted to move the business forward, so here we are making top quality bread,” Anthony smiles and shrugs.
“Covid brought a lot of things to the surface and it was time to reevaluate. I love my life now. I swim four times a week and have just signed up for my first triathlon. It gave me the perspective to make some changes.”
Country Grains next door has therefore closed, because it was serving coffee and sandwiches too, leaving Anthony baking to his heart’s content. So why bread?
there are plans to make their own Pickle and Lime branded produce to sell in the shop from pestos and sauces to salads
“When I grew up both my grandmas baked. Every Saturday their kitchens were full of cakes and baking which is where I got my love of cooking from.”
Unable to make the 40 different loaves on offer yet, the team also buy bread from The Natural Bread Company. “We are starting from scratch and seeing where it goes but we have a lot of loyal customers already and will see how that grows,” Anthony says.
He also has plans to make their own Pickle and Lime branded produce to sell in the shop from pestos and sauces to salads. “The potential here is huge, but one thing at a time. For now it’s about making a success of it, being consistent and seeing where it takes us.”
Pickle and Lime is at 67 Botley Road, Oxford. https://www.pickleandlime.co.uk
